Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
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This is my list of the best ever single in spells by a fast bowler.I am considering only single or continuous spells and not the entire innings.
1.Curtly Ambrose 6 wickets at Trinidad v England in 1994 in 2nd innings .-Rattled the backbone of the English batting as though performing a demolition job on a wicket with uneven bounce and cracks.Batsman were clueless or perplexed to go back or forward.Instead of sailing towards a win England crashed to 26-8. reminding one of an airbase being bombed.Hostility and aggression resembling water at a boiling point,at a magnitude surpassed.Never seen batsmen look so tormented.
2.Imran Khan 5wickets for 3 runs in 25 balls at Karachi in 1982-83. in 2nd innings -Close to the best ever exhibition of combination of pace and movement ,ripping the heart out of the Indian middle order.Broke through the gate of Gavaskar and bowled Vishwanath,shouldering arms.Nevr seen batting opponents so intimidated.
3.Curtly Ambrose 7 wickets for 1 run at Perth in 1992-93 -Very similar to a combing operation. On a fiery track.Ambrose looked like pace bowling robot.Australia was tottering after lunch unable to cope with the concerning rising ball of Curtly.
4.Sarafraz Nawaz 7 wickets for 1 run at Melbourne in 1978-79-Argubaly even the great Richard Hadlee has not surpassed this effort.Sarafraz took art of swing bowling to metaphysical regions,stunning the Australian middle order.Australia looked sailing home to their traget of 382 at 305-3 before Sarafraz stormed in to make a 360 degree reversal ,like a dramatic turn in the plot of a Hollywood epic.
5..Bob Willis at Leeds in 1981 in 2nd innings -Determination personified to ressurect England from the grave to reach pinnacle of glory.Extracted the uneven bounce on the pitch with surgical precision like few paceman ever.Chasing a mere 130 run sto win England cashed from 55-1 to b dismissed for a paltry 111.One of cricket's most miraculous victories .
6.Wasim Akram at Melbourne in 1989-90 in 1st innings.-Pakistan lost the game but Wasim took pace bowling wizardry to heights of the divine.For sheer virtuosity,arguably best ever.Cant forget dismissal of David Bon shouldering arms ,r Steve Waugh edging a delivery and Mark Taylor trapped.
6.Glen Mcgrath 5 wickets at Lords in 2005 in1st innings.-Took perfection in the art of fast bowling to heights rarely reached.Perfect blending of pace and movement with the control of a motorcar and inteligence of a scholar.
7.Dennis Lillee at Melbourne v England in 1977 in 1st innings-Supreme agression like the attack of fighter plane on an airbase.Every element that constitutes perfect pace bowling.
8.Wasim Akram 4 wickets in 5 balls at Lahore v West Indies in 1990-Had he not dismissed tailenders and removed top order batsman it could rank as the bets spell ever.Art of reverse swing in magical proportions.
9.Malcolm Marshall 4 wickets at Kanpur in 1984.-Hostility of coal burning in blast furnace simply tormenting the Indian top order,as perhaps no pace bowler ever did.Marshall's skidding bounce forced batsman to fish outside the offstump.
10.Jaggval Srinath 6 wickets for twelve runs at Ahmedabad v South Afriica in 1996.-On a broken pitch Srinath ripped the flseh of the South African middle order.Mastery of length ,seam movement and control,doing just what the doctor ordered.Sensation of a dynamite exploding with South Africa cashing from 96-4 to 104 all out,chasing a victory tetra of 170.
11.Wasim Akram 5 wickets at Antigua v West Indies in 1990 in 2nd innings -Dubious umpiring cost Pakistan a famous win at Antigua with Wasim bowling with the heart of a lion.West Indies got home to their 200+ target by a margin of only 2 wickets.
12..Imran Khan 5 wickets for 8 runs at Hyderabad v India in 1982-83 in 1st innings -Intimidated the Indian batting making them look like battered army ,as though a spell had been cast on them.
13.Ian Botham five wickets for one run at Edgbaston in 1981 v Australia-Few spells have turned a virtually lost cause into a wining one as Botham at Edgbaston in 1981.An Australian win looked a foregone inclusion before Botham intervened ,creating sensation of an inferno coming from no man's land.Needing 37 runs to achieve the 151 run target with five wickets left Botahm pulled of a miracle.
14.Andy Roberts at Kingston v India in 1983 in 2nd innings-Like a thunderbolt arriving ripped apart the Indian batting just before tea,to pave the path for famous win.Supreme pace bowling intelligence.
15.Kapil Dev 3 wickets for twelve runs at Lords in 1982 in 2nd innings..-A short spell but took art of seam bowling to regions of the sublime.I have rarely seen such fiery spell at the fag end of day's play.Looked as though the spirits possessed him.,blending pace and movement with perfect length.
1.Curtly Ambrose 6 wickets at Trinidad v England in 1994 in 2nd innings .-Rattled the backbone of the English batting as though performing a demolition job on a wicket with uneven bounce and cracks.Batsman were clueless or perplexed to go back or forward.Instead of sailing towards a win England crashed to 26-8. reminding one of an airbase being bombed.Hostility and aggression resembling water at a boiling point,at a magnitude surpassed.Never seen batsmen look so tormented.
2.Imran Khan 5wickets for 3 runs in 25 balls at Karachi in 1982-83. in 2nd innings -Close to the best ever exhibition of combination of pace and movement ,ripping the heart out of the Indian middle order.Broke through the gate of Gavaskar and bowled Vishwanath,shouldering arms.Nevr seen batting opponents so intimidated.
3.Curtly Ambrose 7 wickets for 1 run at Perth in 1992-93 -Very similar to a combing operation. On a fiery track.Ambrose looked like pace bowling robot.Australia was tottering after lunch unable to cope with the concerning rising ball of Curtly.
4.Sarafraz Nawaz 7 wickets for 1 run at Melbourne in 1978-79-Argubaly even the great Richard Hadlee has not surpassed this effort.Sarafraz took art of swing bowling to metaphysical regions,stunning the Australian middle order.Australia looked sailing home to their traget of 382 at 305-3 before Sarafraz stormed in to make a 360 degree reversal ,like a dramatic turn in the plot of a Hollywood epic.
5..Bob Willis at Leeds in 1981 in 2nd innings -Determination personified to ressurect England from the grave to reach pinnacle of glory.Extracted the uneven bounce on the pitch with surgical precision like few paceman ever.Chasing a mere 130 run sto win England cashed from 55-1 to b dismissed for a paltry 111.One of cricket's most miraculous victories .
6.Wasim Akram at Melbourne in 1989-90 in 1st innings.-Pakistan lost the game but Wasim took pace bowling wizardry to heights of the divine.For sheer virtuosity,arguably best ever.Cant forget dismissal of David Bon shouldering arms ,r Steve Waugh edging a delivery and Mark Taylor trapped.
6.Glen Mcgrath 5 wickets at Lords in 2005 in1st innings.-Took perfection in the art of fast bowling to heights rarely reached.Perfect blending of pace and movement with the control of a motorcar and inteligence of a scholar.
7.Dennis Lillee at Melbourne v England in 1977 in 1st innings-Supreme agression like the attack of fighter plane on an airbase.Every element that constitutes perfect pace bowling.
8.Wasim Akram 4 wickets in 5 balls at Lahore v West Indies in 1990-Had he not dismissed tailenders and removed top order batsman it could rank as the bets spell ever.Art of reverse swing in magical proportions.
9.Malcolm Marshall 4 wickets at Kanpur in 1984.-Hostility of coal burning in blast furnace simply tormenting the Indian top order,as perhaps no pace bowler ever did.Marshall's skidding bounce forced batsman to fish outside the offstump.
10.Jaggval Srinath 6 wickets for twelve runs at Ahmedabad v South Afriica in 1996.-On a broken pitch Srinath ripped the flseh of the South African middle order.Mastery of length ,seam movement and control,doing just what the doctor ordered.Sensation of a dynamite exploding with South Africa cashing from 96-4 to 104 all out,chasing a victory tetra of 170.
11.Wasim Akram 5 wickets at Antigua v West Indies in 1990 in 2nd innings -Dubious umpiring cost Pakistan a famous win at Antigua with Wasim bowling with the heart of a lion.West Indies got home to their 200+ target by a margin of only 2 wickets.
12..Imran Khan 5 wickets for 8 runs at Hyderabad v India in 1982-83 in 1st innings -Intimidated the Indian batting making them look like battered army ,as though a spell had been cast on them.
13.Ian Botham five wickets for one run at Edgbaston in 1981 v Australia-Few spells have turned a virtually lost cause into a wining one as Botham at Edgbaston in 1981.An Australian win looked a foregone inclusion before Botham intervened ,creating sensation of an inferno coming from no man's land.Needing 37 runs to achieve the 151 run target with five wickets left Botahm pulled of a miracle.
14.Andy Roberts at Kingston v India in 1983 in 2nd innings-Like a thunderbolt arriving ripped apart the Indian batting just before tea,to pave the path for famous win.Supreme pace bowling intelligence.
15.Kapil Dev 3 wickets for twelve runs at Lords in 1982 in 2nd innings..-A short spell but took art of seam bowling to regions of the sublime.I have rarely seen such fiery spell at the fag end of day's play.Looked as though the spirits possessed him.,blending pace and movement with perfect length.
....he knocked the bat out of sunny g's hands with a brute of a delivery...that spell was probably the quickest spell in terms of sheer speed that I have seen against us....
