Most fearsome Windies quick?

[The Coon Dog]

The West Indies have been blessed with quicks who could terrify the life out of most batsmen, but which of those would you have hated to face & why?

For me it was Andy Roberts. He had the ability to make his bouncer follow you (I still shudder when I think of Roberts breaking David Hookes' jaw).

My top 5 of those I'd hate to face:

1. Andy Roberts
2. Michael Holding
3. Curtly Ambrose
4. Joel Garner
5. Malcolm Marshall

[Ozza]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

I never saw Andy Roberts, Michael Holding or Joel Garner live - but I remember thinking Patrick Patterson would have been scary to face at that pace and because the ball could go anywhere.

For the opposite reasons - Curtly would have been scary because he had such good control that it seems he could hurt batsman when he wanted.

[mighty_west]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

I'm not sure if hating to face is the right term, but hardest would be imo:

1. Malcolm Marshall
2. Andy Roberts
3. Michael Holding
4. Joel Garner
5. Curtly Ambrose

Mentions to Colin Croft, Patrick Patterson, Courtney Walsh, Eldine Ashworth Elderfield Baptiste.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

Roberts had a few different bouncers and would often give a batsman a 3/4 pace long hop to put away first. The next one was flat out, usually an off cutter that started about a foot outside off and followed you as if it had a homing device fitted. It usually finished up riquochetting off your scone.

Holding was the best bowler of the lot followed by Marshall, but it's a Cox Plate field.

[mighty_west]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

[Sedat]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

For the opposite reasons - Curtly would have been scary because he had such good control that it seems he could hurt batsman when he wanted.

He did have amazing control to consistently keep it in the channel just outside off and at pace, but Curtly did a more than adequate job of rearranging Geoff Lawson's jaw in Perth in 1988-89 (admittedly Lawson's jaw is a pretty big target).

Similar to Andy Roberts, Courtney Walsh also had a knack of consistently producing awkward off-cutting bouncers at pace that usually resulted in the words 'retired hurt' sitting alongside the batsman's name.

It would be remiss not to mention Ian Bishop in this thread, whose career was ruined by persistent back injuries. He still ended up with a pretty healthy 161 wickets at 24 in 43 tests, but early in his career he had the talent, control and sheer pace to end up being one of the best of the lot if injury hadn't intervened. He had to significantly modify his action to a more front-on style, which also reduced his pace, but he still provided Australia with plenty of headaches in 1992-93 (when they were lucky enough to survive Ambrose at the other end).

Quite a contrast seeing Ravi Rampaul and Darren Sammy throwing down their pies this summer. As fantastic as the assembly line of Windies quicks were from the mid 70's to mid 90's, there have been some god-awful bowlers getting games for the Windies since then.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

Fearsome or best? They were all fearsome. Special mention to Colin Croft. I love the time in NZ when tried to elbow the umpire in his bowling delivery after he got a bad lbw call. Fortunately the ump saw it coming.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

Fearsome or best?

Fearsome, got a problem reading the thread title Ernie? Might have been out in the heat too long yesterday!

[chef]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

1. Malcolm Marshall
2. Andy Roberts
3. Michael Holding
4. Curtly Ambrose
5. Joel Garner

This would be mine and there wouldn't be much between any of them.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

Fearsome, got a problem reading the thread title Ernie? Might have been out in the heat too long yesterday!

Well I think others are confusing fearsome and best. I wouldn't call Holding as fearsome as others, he actions was poetry in motion and hard to find a cooler cat than him. Roberts, Marshall, Croft, Garner and Ambrose all more intimidating with their looks/size. Some of those just targetted the head.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

Well I think others are confusing fearsome and best. I wouldn't call Holding as fearsome as others, he actions was poetry in motion and hard to find a cooler cat than him. Roberts, Marshall, Croft, Garner and Ambrose all more intimidating with their looks/size. Some of those just targetted the head.

Maybe others have been out in the sun?

[Missing Dog]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

Maybe others just have a different opinion?

[mighty_west]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

Well I think others are confusing fearsome and best. I wouldn't call Holding as fearsome as others, he actions was poetry in motion and hard to find a cooler cat than him. Roberts, Marshall, Croft, Garner and Ambrose all more intimidating with their looks/size. Some of those just targetted the head.

Don't let Holdings actions put you off, not so much when he shortened his run up, but on the long run and at his peak, as fearsome of any of them.

If we just went on looks & size, you'd probably have Croft & Patterson right up there, Croft was just crazy.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

Maybe others just have a different opinion?

If I wanted to know who I thought others felt the best Windies quick was, I'd have put that in the thread title, I didn't, I wanted to know who others thought was the most fearsome.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Most fearsome Windies quick?

I only saw the tail end of Roberts & Croft's careers, but saw enough to still place them in my top 5 fearsome West Indies pace bowlers that I've seen.
I recall a couple of the super tests during WSC and Croft in particular I remember was just a whirr of arms like an angry vengeful windmill.

Ambrose and Garner also make it for their steepling bounce an unerring accuracy. I seem to recall Garner breaking Jeremy Coney's arm around 83-84?

Marshall given his relatively short height would've been an absolute nightmare to contend with as his short stuff rarely seemed likely to make it over the batsman's noggin and seemed to skid off the deck and reach a really uncomfortable height. What was almost worse was that often his bouncers would continue moving considerably through the air after hitting the pitch. So good luck trying to pick the right line to get behind.

I didn't rate Patterson that fearsome for the fact that he gave batsmen so many bad balls to punish before he'd manage to pitch a nasty one. He was very quick and maybe the times I saw him against the Aussies he might've been off, but I'd put Courney Walsh ahead of him for delivering consistent nasty balls to batsman.


Apols to Holding, Sylvester Clarke & Wayne Daniels.

If this was a best of poll, Holding would probably get mynod as best.