Pace bowler who has bowled the most number of greatest spells in Test cricket?

[Harsh Thakor]

In this list in order of merit choosing the pace bowlers who bowled the most number of great spells in an innings which rank amongst the very top of all time.



1.Imran Khan



2.Curtly Ambrose



3.Dennis Lillee



4.Glen Mcgrath



5.Kapil Dev



6.Richard Hadlee



Imran at top capturing 8 wickets twice and 7 wickets twice all in winning causes.5 7 or more wicket hauls speaks for itself.Above all spahped historic wins for Pakistan.



Ambrose 2nd because of his spells that turned the complexion of games virtually ressurecting his side from the grave to a famous win.No bowler was more effective on a bad wicket or in a 4th innings.The ultimate man for a demolition shop reminsicent of a roller shaving off grass. or a combing operation of an army.



Including WSC supertests and 1972 games against rest of the world Dennis Lille has taken 7 or more wickets 4 times and 3 in winning causes.Epitome of agression and determination.The most complete of right arm fast bowlers.8-26 at Perth in 1972 was simply blitzkreig as well as 7-23 in supertest in 1978 v West Indies.



Morally in his best spells Mcgrath was as lethal as the very fastest whether at Lords or at Melbourne.Every attribute of great bowling in perfect proportion.Simply a bolwing computer.



Kapil Dev when you consider that he has a 9 and 2 8 wicket hauls as well as 2 7 wicket hauls.Although in losing causes revealed the heart of a lion more than anyone.Great intelligence.



Richard Hadlee was the ultimate personification of control and was a perfect bowling machine at his best.

 

[umarf76]

In this list in order of merit choosing the pace bowlers who bowled the most number of great spells in an innings which rank amongst the very top of all time.



1.Imran Khan



2.Curtly Ambrose



3.Dennis Lillee



4.Glen Mcgrath



5.Kapil Dev



6.Richard Hadlee



Imran at top capturing 8 wickets twice and 7 wickets twice all in winning causes.5 7 or more wicket hauls speaks for itself.Above all spahped historic wins for Pakistan.



Ambrose 2nd because of his spells that turned the complexion of games virtually ressurecting his side from the grave to a famous win.No bowler was more effective on a bad wicket or in a 4th innings.The ultimate man for a demolition shop reminsicent of a roller shaving off grass. or a combing operation of an army.



Including WSC supertests and 1972 games against rest of the world Dennis Lille has taken 7 or more wickets 4 times and 3 in winning causes.Epitome of agression and determination.The most complete of right arm fast bowlers.8-26 at Perth in 1972 was simply blitzkreig as well as 7-23 in supertest in 1978 v West Indies.



Morally in his best spells Mcgrath was as lethal as the very fastest whether at Lords or at Melbourne.Every attribute of great bowling in perfect proportion.Simply a bolwing computer.



Kapil Dev when you consider that he has a 9 and 2 8 wicket hauls as well as 2 7 wicket hauls.Although in losing causes revealed the heart of a lion more than anyone.Great intelligence.



Richard Hadlee was the ultimate personification of control and was a perfect bowling machine at his best.

Waqar Younis between 1989 and 1994 bowler a number of match winning spells.

Broad has a number of match winning spells.

Marshall between 81 to 85 had a number of special spells.

Others are possibly Ian Botham, ,Michael Holding, Ray Lindwall, Fazal Mahmood,

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Waqar Younis between 1989 and 1994 bowler a number of match winning spells.

Broad has a number of match winning spells.

Marshall between 81 to 85 had a number of special spells.

Others are possibly Ian Botham, ,Michael Holding, Ray Lindwall, Fazal Mahmood,

Please come here [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] [MENTION=139595]Ab Fan[/MENTION]

 

[sweep_shot]

Glenn McGrath has to be up there.

Also, I am a bit surprised you didn't include likes of Waqar Younis and Courtney Walsh.

 

[silent ischemia]

Mc Grath
Ambrose
Warne

 

[tyron_woodley]

I would say Glen right? ambrose possibly 2. steyn 3.

 

[Robert]

Please come here [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] [MENTION=139595]Ab Fan[/MENTION]

I think you have it about right.

Botham got two 8fers and at least one 7fer, and that 5-1 spell that one an Ashes test that England were losing until the last half hour.

 

[umarf76]

Mc Grath
Ambrose
Warne

Since when did Warne become a fast bowler? Ambrose is in the original list.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I would say Glen right? ambrose possibly 2. steyn 3.

Why not Imran or even Kapil?So many 8 and 7 wkt hauls .

 

[Ab Fan]

I think Richard Hadlee as he is the one with the maximum number of fi-fers and 10-fers.

 

[Robert]

I think Richard Hadlee as he is the one with the maximum number of fi-fers and 10-fers.

No other top bowler at the other end to pinch wickets off him!

 

[Ab Fan]

No other top bowler at the other end to pinch wickets off him!

Yes but he did it with an average of 21 with the bowl. As per the OP title, Hadlee has a very strong claim. A case for some others can be made also.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Why not Imran or even Kapil?So many 8 and 7 wkt hauls .

imran yes. kapil wasn't consistent enough. yea you could say imran or hadlee too. Have no problem with either.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Yes but he did it with an average of 21 with the bowl. As per the OP title, Hadlee has a very strong claim. A case for some others can be made also.

Very much agree

 

[MMHS]

Please come here [MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] [MENTION=139595]Ab Fan[/MENTION]

I don't think you can identify match defining spells from the bowling figures only - that 7 wicket haul criteria doesn't make any sense if 7 wickets are taken in 5 spells. But, I guess instead of spell, what you tried to say is bowling figures of an innings that defined a game - even in that regard, this 7 wicket haul criteria doesn't work. For a reference, I can say that two of my all-time favorites didn't have a 8 wicket innings - Wasim's best is probably 7/119 while Lillee's 7/89 ........

I give an example which should tell you how such criteria doesn't work. 1982-83, Hyderabad (Sindh) - on a wicket absolutely DEAD, PAK piled up like 600/3d. - and, it was a Test in December in PAK, 70 overs per day, and PAK batted till Lunch on Day 3. On that absolute sh!t load of a typical PAK Test wicket of past, a very good Indian batting line-up came to bat and under scorching sun, Imran took 6 for 10-12 in his first 7/8 overs - ripping through the defense. He got tiered and had to stop ..... Jimmy Amarnath survived the thunder, mostly from other end and with B$ Sandhu of all people added like 110 for the 9th wicket and India reached close to 200, otherwise on that track, after ~600/3d, IND could have been all-out for less than 80 in one session, for that spell.

Not going by stats and not going the platinum era of cricket before 1950s, to my knowledge, the answer for what you are looking for - my first man will be RJ Hadlee, one man army - for two decades, he was among top 1-2 players for every Kiwi win. What he carried on his shoulders, probably never can be measured by stats.

Second man will definitely be Dennis Lille. That guy didn't leave any space for a single ball in his life and never bowled to preserve run (or own body) - relentless. For a fast bowler of his caliber, playing in 1970s mostly, his economy and average - both were actually high, because his every instinct was to get batsman out; hardly bowled with a mid-on, mid-off, never with a sweeper and he put 3rd man only as a catching fielder.

For his best 7-8 years - Imran indeed comes among top few - 8/60, 8/58, 7/81, 7/37, few more great spells in UK & WIN ... but nothing comes close to those 6+6 wicket game, at SCG, 1976.

Kapil in this list - really? His 9/81 was in a losing course at Ahmadabad; his 8for at Lahore was in a shameful game (for the curators and organizers), his 8for in AUS (1986), was ruined by rain and Aussie umpires, his 1988 WIN or 1992 AUS tour ended in 0-4..... third man in my list probably will be WY - no 7-8 wicket hauls, but hardly anyone could change a game like that in one spell.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I don't think you can identify match defining spells from the bowling figures only - that 7 wicket haul criteria doesn't make any sense if 7 wickets are taken in 5 spells. But, I guess instead of spell, what you tried to say is bowling figures of an innings that defined a game - even in that regard, this 7 wicket haul criteria doesn't work. For a reference, I can say that two of my all-time favorites didn't have a 8 wicket innings - Wasim's best is probably 7/119 while Lillee's 7/89 ........

I give an example which should tell you how such criteria doesn't work. 1982-83, Hyderabad (Sindh) - on a wicket absolutely DEAD, PAK piled up like 600/3d. - and, it was a Test in December in PAK, 70 overs per day, and PAK batted till Lunch on Day 3. On that absolute sh!t load of a typical PAK Test wicket of past, a very good Indian batting line-up came to bat and under scorching sun, Imran took 6 for 10-12 in his first 7/8 overs - ripping through the defense. He got tiered and had to stop ..... Jimmy Amarnath survived the thunder, mostly from other end and with B$ Sandhu of all people added like 110 for the 9th wicket and India reached close to 200, otherwise on that track, after ~600/3d, IND could have been all-out for less than 80 in one session, for that spell.

Not going by stats and not going the platinum era of cricket before 1950s, to my knowledge, the answer for what you are looking for - my first man will be RJ Hadlee, one man army - for two decades, he was among top 1-2 players for every Kiwi win. What he carried on his shoulders, probably never can be measured by stats.

Second man will definitely be Dennis Lille. That guy didn't leave any space for a single ball in his life and never bowled to preserve run (or own body) - relentless. For a fast bowler of his caliber, playing in 1970s mostly, his economy and average - both were actually high, because his every instinct was to get batsman out; hardly bowled with a mid-on, mid-off, never with a sweeper and he put 3rd man only as a catching fielder.

For his best 7-8 years - Imran indeed comes among top few - 8/60, 8/58, 7/81, 7/37, few more great spells in UK & WIN ... but nothing comes close to those 6+6 wicket game, at SCG, 1976.

Kapil in this list - really? His 9/81 was in a losing course at Ahmadabad; his 8for at Lahore was in a shameful game (for the curators and organizers), his 8for in AUS (1986), was ruined by rain and Aussie umpires, his 1988 WIN or 1992 AUS tour ended in 0-4..... third man in my list probably will be WY - no 7-8 wicket hauls, but hardly anyone could change a game like that in one spell.

A great analysis,very logical.However what about the 4-5 best spells of Ambrose that literally resuurected his team from the grave twice?Also best of glen mcgrath at Lords and Perth?

 

[Robert]

A great analysis,very logical.However what about the 4-5 best spells of Ambrose that literally resuurected his team from the grave twice?Also best of glen mcgrath at Lords and Perth?

He didn’t literally do that.

 

[majiz]

Actually GREAT spells? Not certain but probably Curley Ambrose? I have always had the feeling that it is what pips him ahead of the similar Glenn McGrath

 

[majiz]

He didn’t literally do that.

The meaning has evolved tbh but yeah using it there was a bit of a stretch

 

[Harsh Thakor]

He didn’t literally do that.

Sorry,exaggerated.Anyway any view on statement?

 

[Asifnow]

I won't rank spells or bowlers based on that BUT just some stand out spells I've seen and come to mind:

Flintoff five-for against the Aussies, Ashes, Lord's, a breaking aching body but Flintoff was menacing, fastest bowler on show. He speared through the Aussies at 95 mph, pace, bounce, swing, he had it all and this was a man who would never play again.

Akhtar, v England in 05, I cant remember the venue but his dismantling of the top test side was spectacular. It wasn't due to his usual pace but the brilliant slower ball he had been learning. Probably his finest and smartest bowling performance.

Archer v Smith, the bowler touched 97 mph in this spell, made Smith squirm and then hurt, he rocketed up the heat and never let it go. It was the finest spell of modern fast bowling since the hey days of the 90s and 00s. As with all fast bowling, it livened up a seemingly dull affair.

Amir v England, the comeback! This is actually a collection of spells across four test matches. Amir the rogue was now Amir the hero and time and time again he bowled beautifully. Good pace, swing, seam when he needed it, brains always, it is just a shame that so many catches were dropped. The official stats show something like 7 dropped catches across those four games. Brilliant!

Dale Steyn, Joburg, the death of Pakistan in 2013. Such utter annihilation, not through sheer pace but brains, seam, good length and brilliant line. The batsmen played everything but the ball. I still haven't gotten over it.