Print

[SOULMAN1012]

Tymal will love that!

Once I wrote it I thought it looked wrong, well doubt ill be facing him anytime soon 

[Kez]

Haha I wouldn't worry the commentators always get it wrong too, he has learnt to laugh too

[Aldred Cricket Bats]

Here's something to ponder. Before central contracts and when they had the great overseas players here like Ambrose Walsh Donald and the English players we're gough, Malcolm etc 80-85mph was very medium paced I was late 70s 80 on a good day along with a few others and we were trundlers. You had to swing it or do something. From what I see now mid 80s is quick. Now it's relative to what you play against. If your a club player that facing mid 60s every week late 70s is going to seem a bit sharp. One of my early games was against mr Donald and I was out my league he broke my finger second ball and I stood there thinking he can kill me at will and I have no say in the matter.
 Now as far as TV pace is concerned I heard a rumor that 4 or 5 years ago to try and hype up the cricket on TV sky were tweeking the speed guns up to make it seem quicker and more interesting and that was from a reliable source.
 It's all relative but I do personally feel that we are going through an era of lower pace and it happens, but I think if you can produce a few Anderson's which England used to be renowned for ie swing bowlers we would not do bad at all. Talk to a lot of ex pros and they will tell you there are different types of quick.

[Vitas Cricket]

Talk to a lot of ex pros and they will tell you there are different types of quick.

The old adage 'he bowls a heavy ball' has some relevance here. Anderson and Bres are pretty similar on the speed gun. Everyone you talk to says Bres bowls a heavier ball.

[Aswani Cricket]

That's exactly it Jake ... I'm sure some bowlers appear fast to some batsmen but not others ... and blogs are personal views to generate debate. 

[Manormanic]

Now as far as TV pace is concerned I heard a rumor that 4 or 5 years ago to try and hype up the cricket on TV sky were tweeking the speed guns up to make it seem quicker and more interesting and that was from a reliable source.

Thats not a rumour Paul - Sky themselves admitted that there had been issues with the speed guns that they used from 2003-2011 which was why certain bowlers were suddenly a whole lot slower come the start of the 2012 season.  I think with Tim Bresnan the difference was an average of about 5mph...

[Manormanic]

The old adage 'he bowls a heavy ball' has some relevance here. Anderson and Bres are pretty similar on the speed gun. Everyone you talk to says Bres bowls a heavier ball.

There are numerous factors relevant - bec ause after all, whether the bowler is 80 or 90 mph, your reaction time is a fraction of a second.  Height is one - because it is harder to judge how a tall bowler will get the ball to rear up than it is to line up a skiddy bowler - and another is action.  Some bowlers are easy for their pace because the ball is visible throughout their run up and comes at you in more or less of a straight line, giving the mind plenty of opportunity to process it, whereas others come from odd places (Lasith Malinga, step to the front of the class) or have the advantage of surprise by keeping the ball out of sight until late on (Malcolm Marshall did this very well)

[SOULMAN1012]

Give me 80mph but dead straight any day over 65,70mph and swinging round corners

[Buzz]

Also the very nature of speed guns means that tall fast bowlers register slower speeds than shorter quicks.

Not the same if you faced them.

League cricket is blighted by evil dibbly doblers who are miserly and occaisionally do a little bit with the ball bowling at a horrible length, just made to make batsmen look stupid. I think they should be banned (except if they are playing for my team)

[FattusCattus]

Yup!  Dibble is definately your nemesis!

[Manormanic]

Give me 80mph but dead straight any day over 65,70mph and swinging round corners

agreed - my nephew is a classic case in point - speed gun says 85 (occasionally a bit more) but, as its gun barrel straight, he got nowhere much with it...

[ProCricketer1982]

Also the very nature of speed guns means that tall fast bowlers register slower speeds than shorter quicks.

Not the same if you faced them.

League cricket is blighted by evil dibbly doblers who are miserly and occaisionally do a little bit with the ball bowling at a horrible length, just made to make batsmen look stupid. I think they should be banned (except if they are playing for my team)

Yes yes yes, ban silly dobblers. Horrible bowlers

[SOULMAN1012]

agreed - my nephew is a classic case in point - speed gun says 85 (occasionally a bit more) but, as its gun barrel straight, he got nowhere much with it...

We have a guy who can scare people for fun especially on a few of the hard true tracks we have in our league but he gets no where near as many wickets as our seasoned opening bowler who is probable about 70 tops but can swing in both ways at will.

[johnnyw]

Speed doesnt really matter. Taking wickets does

[ProCricketer1982]

Speed doesnt really matter. Taking wickets does

I think any batsmen would take someone sharp but straight over someone 65-70 who has control of the ball and moves it at will