Items19The creator’s order
  1. 1Dennis LilleeDennis LilleeBorn 18 Jul 1949Lillee began as a tearaway, broke down with stress fractures of the back in 1973 and rebuilt himself into a complete fast bowler with a classical side-on action, outswing and cutters. His 39 wickets in the 1981 Ashes, in English conditions and at reduced pace, show the craft that replaced raw…0i
  2. 2Jeff ThomsonJeff ThomsonBorn 16 Aug 1950Thomson's slinging action, the ball hidden behind his back until a javelin-like release, produced some of the fastest bowling ever recorded and steep bounce from a full length. In the 1974-75 Ashes he took 33 wickets alongside Lillee and terrified England's batters. Watch the action rather than the…0i
  3. 3Michael HoldingMichael HoldingBorn 16 Feb 1954Umpires called Holding Whispering Death because they could not hear him approach the crease: a long, silent, gliding run-up that ended in genuine express pace. His 14 wickets on a flat Oval pitch in 1976, when other bowlers toiled, show pace and accuracy beating the surface. His over to Geoffrey…0i
  4. 4Joel GarnerJoel GarnerAt 6ft 8in, Big Bird released the ball from such a height that his yorkers dropped on batters' toes and his short balls climbed into the ribs. He was deadly in one-day cricket, taking 5 for 38 in the 1979 World Cup final. Garner was the most economical of the great West Indies quicks, which shows…0i
  5. 5Malcolm MarshallMalcolm MarshallBorn 18 Apr 1958At under six feet, Marshall was short for a fast bowler, and he turned that into an advantage with a skiddy, whippy action that made the ball hurry on at the body. He could swing it both ways and bowl cutters, and he thought batters out. His 7 for 53 at Headingley in 1984, bowling with a broken…0
  6. 6Imran KhanImran KhanBorn 5 Oct 1952Before his political career, Imran was one of the great fast-bowling all-rounders and, with Sarfraz Nawaz, a pioneer of reverse swing, making an old ball swing late on dry Pakistani pitches. His leap at the crease and side-on action generated pace and movement. His 40 wickets in the 1982-83 home…0i
  7. 7Wasim AkramWasim AkramBorn 3 Jun 1966The Sultan of Swing bowled left-arm with a whippy, short run-up and a very fast arm, swinging the ball both ways at pace, conventional and reverse. His two deliveries to Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis in the 1992 World Cup final, late in-swing and away-swing, are the best demonstration of his skill. He…0i
  8. 8Waqar YounisWaqar YounisBorn 16 Nov 1971Waqar's method was the fast, late-swinging yorker, aimed at the toes or the base of the stumps, and his strike rate in the early 1990s was among the best in Test history. Bowling for Surrey in 1991 he took over 100 first-class wickets in an English season. The broken stumps and hobbling batters of…0i
  9. 9Curtly AmbroseCurtly AmbroseBorn 21 Sept 1963Ambrose used his 6ft 7in height to hit a good length and make it bounce awkwardly, and he rarely gave batters anything to hit. His spell of 7 for 1 in 32 balls at Perth in 1993 is the extreme example; his 6 for 24 as England collapsed to 46 all out at Port of Spain in 1994 is another. Economy and…0i
  10. 10Allan DonaldAllan DonaldBorn 20 Oct 1966White Lightning combined a smooth, rhythmic run-up with genuine pace and late away-swing, and he played county cricket at Edgbaston for Warwickshire, where Birmingham fans saw him close up. His duel with Michael Atherton at Trent Bridge in 1998 is the most famous spell of hostile fast bowling of…0i