Best Australian Test Quicks This Century

[demondavey]

Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger are criminally underrated. Hilfenhaus was a beautiful swing bowler and I just don't feel he had enough chances. Bollinger, as someone discussed, had great statistics but definitely wasn't your poster boy for fitness.

I think Andy Bichel was also brilliant. An absolute work horse. Loved watching him and he gave me his towel after a Sheffield Game at the G in about 95.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Rubbish. Ntini was a gun. Anyone taking 300 test wickets is amazing.

Anybody who takes 300 Test wickets is very good.
That wasn't the issue.

 

[Demosthenes]

I think Andy Bichel was also brilliant. An absolute work horse. Loved watching him and he gave me his towel after a Sheffield Game at the G in about 95.

He and Adam Dale were such a great pairing for the Bulls. Throw in Kaspa and you had a pretty phenomenal Shield attack in the late 90s.

 

[Blue1980]

Johnson in the 13/14 series was just scary. Fast, aggressive, making an impression on batting friendly wickets. I'd say most of his bowling was between 145-155 km. He was absolutely unstoppable.

I'll struggle to leave out McGrath. The ultimate proponent of line and length. The pin up boy for 'how to bowl'.

If I could see a fit James Pattinson, I'd pick him. A mix of McGrath and Harris. A bull who could just pepper that line and length. Beautiful action, natural outswing, pace and aggression.

Could never leave McGrath out. Only other pace bowler comparable in our history is Lillee.

In my time of watching best fast bowlers I’ve seen are McGrath and Ambrose. Wasim probably next.

 

[demondavey]

Could never leave McGrath out. Only other pace bowler comparable in our history is Lillee.

In my time of watching best fast bowlers I’ve seen are McGrath and Ambrose. Wasim probably next.

Ambrose was amazing. 400 wickets at 20. Serious pace and bounce.

Akram was the guy that I first saw swing the ball around and generate so much attention to it. He was able to not only move it but do it with a level of control I think I've only seen a handful of players do again.

 

[demondavey]

He and Adam Dale were such a great pairing for the Bulls. Throw in Kaspa and you had a pretty phenomenal Shield attack in the late 90s.

Hasn't Kasper taken the most shield wickets? I remember reading that somewhere. Yep, those 3 were elite. QLD cricket in the nineties was seriously intimidating, I loved watching those games and often would want to them play if I could.

 

[eth-dog]

Hasn't Kasper taken the most shield wickets? I remember reading that somewhere. Yep, those 3 were elite. QLD cricket in the nineties was seriously intimidating, I loved watching those games and often would want to them play if I could.

Their top order would have been handy too, with Jimmy Maher, Matty Hayden, Martin Love, Stuart Law, Andrew Symonds and Ian Healy in there.

 

[demondavey]

Their top order would have been handy too, with Jimmy Maher, Matty Hayden, Martin Love, Stuart Law, Andrew Symonds and Ian Healy in there.

They were a great outfit. They won most of there titles in that mid to late nineties and at the start of the century. WA were also very good as well. Very good.

 

[damochandler]

He and Adam Dale were such a great pairing for the Bulls. Throw in Kaspa and you had a pretty phenomenal Shield attack in the late 90s.

Kaspar came back from 2 or 3 shoulder recos and shortened his run and was a great bowler.

 

[demondavey]

I think if Lee could get a 5 for on debut and go on to take 300 test wickets, James Pattinson who also took 5 on debut could've gone on to get 400. I think he was a lot better than Lee with regards to line and length and was able to generate natural outswing at pace.

 

[Damon_3388]

I can't believe how good he was for a guy that is only 5'10''.

I'm glad we got to see him perform at test level even if it was only 27 matches. Only played 82 FC matches in his whole career, which when you take out tests is just 55 at Shield/County level. Cameron Bancroft is 25 and has played 68 FC matches already.

What's even more amazing is that he was a pretty average state-level bowler until about the age of 28, then all of a sudden became elite.

 

[damochandler]

Bichel just ran in time after time. He really was a lionhearted bowler

 

[Scotland]

Bichel was a trier, but not in the class of the top Australian quicks.

I was a big fan of Hilfenhaus but he was a bit limited and a victim of CA's '140+ or GTFO' mantra. Had he been born in England he could've a long career and taken 2-300 wickets. He suited their conditions perfectly. Once CA debuted Pattinson, Cummins and Starc in quick succession he was pretty much no chance of getting a recall.

 

[Mockcockpit]

Once CA debuted Pattinson, Cummins and Starc in quick succession he was pretty much no chance of getting a recall.

Which is as it should be considering he suffered from the considerable disadvantage of not being anywhere near as good as those 3.

 

[Hellgood]

What's even more amazing is that he was a pretty average state-level bowler until about the age of 28, then all of a sudden became elite.

I never remembered him being anything much quicker than a medium pacer. Then all of a sudden he went full beast mode and was capable of going in the 140's for consistent stretches of time and hit the bat harder than most at international level.

If I remember rightly there was a comment by his wicket-keeper, Graham Manou about how one day in a shield game it all just clicked for him pace wise and he never looked back

 

[La Dolce Vita]

Brett Lee will go down as Australia's most underrated fast bowler. According to so many he's terrible. He took over 300 wickets in test cricket, but the way he's talked about here you'd think he took 50 wickets at 45.

Brett lee had all the attributes and was a very good bowler. Unfortunately with respect he was one of the dumbest bowlers we have had since I have been watching cricket
Bowled 2 lengths and any decent batsmen knew exactly what was coming next

With his pace and swing (add Ryno's nous) if he just concentrated on line and length he could of taken 400+ wickets

 

[workhorse]

I'm also one in the Andy Bichel camp, absolute work horse. Not tests but his 2003 world cup replacing Gillespie was absolutely superb, with bat and ball.

 

[Scotland]

Which is as it should be considering he suffered from the considerable disadvantage of not being anywhere near as good as those 3.

Hilfenhaus took 60 wickets in a Shield season and was our leading wicket taker in an Ashes series. Bloke can play.

I think people forget how average Starc was, too. In his first 4 years he was in and out and played 14 tests for 45 wickets @ 36 striking at 62. It's only the last 3 years when he's been able to get a consistent run at it that he's been averaging mid 20s and striking under 50. Cummins also had 6 years between tests and Pattinson hasn't played a test for nearly two years. Hazlewood is the only one who has come in and consistently been up to the physical demands of test cricket.

It's great identifying blokes early but there's also a lot to be said for guys who have a decent body of work behind them. Jackson Bird, Doug Bollinger, Stuart Clark, even Peter Siddle who played plenty of tests and Ryan Harris who was a star for the short time he was in - these guys would reliably do a job. I'm glad we don't overlook these guys completely, even if we do make some odd picks like Hastings, McKay, Copeland etc. CA have a fascination with protecting our fast bowlers in tests, but they rush guys in before they are ready then rush them back after injury/limited form.

 

[SwampRat]

How good was this delivery..

Jaffa.

 

[Mockcockpit]

It's great identifying blokes early but there's also a lot to be said for guys who have a decent body of work behind them. Jackson Bird, Doug Bollinger, Stuart Clark, even Peter Siddle who played plenty of tests and Ryan Harris who was a star for the short time he was in - these guys would reliably do a job. I'm glad we don't overlook these guys completely, even if we do make some odd picks like Hastings, McKay, Copeland etc. CA have a fascination with protecting our fast bowlers in tests, but they rush guys in before they are ready then rush them back after injury/limited form.

Absolutely, the conveyor belt of pacemen never stops in Australia but when it slows down a bit there will always be guys like Hilfenhaus. It's the reason why our cricket will always be reasonably competitive.

 

[SwampRat]

If Macgill had just been born a few years later he'd be seen a lot differently, was an absolute A-grade cricketer who was unfortunate to be in the same generation as Shane Warne, we'd have killed for somebody that good after Warne retired.

I've always said this about Macgilla. We rarely played 2 spinners. Was a lock for the Sydney test though. Never seen anyone turn the ball as much as him.

 

[Scotland]

I've always said this about Macgilla. We rarely played 2 spinners. Was a lock for the Sydney test though. Never seen anyone turn the ball as much as him.

MacGill never played a test in India. Weird considering some of the hack spinners we've taken there.

Side note, he was the most recently retired Aussie test cricketer after Ponting to play a test in Pakistan.

 

[Mockcockpit]

MacGill never played a test in India. Weird considering some of the hack spinners we've taken there.

Side note, he was the most recently retired Aussie test cricketer to play a test in Pakistan.

Ponting played in Tubby's test in Peshawar.

 

[Scotland]

Ponting played in Tubby's test in Peshawar.

Ah yes, so he did.

Sad we haven't played there for nearly 20 years.

 

[Mockcockpit]

Ah yes, so he did.

Sad we haven't played there for nearly 20 years.

Agreed, we'll get back there one day though. I think the match in Peshawar was also when Gavin Robertson and Justin Langer took a trip up the Khyber Pass and got in trouble for having their picture taken holding AK-47s. Be buggered if I can find the picture anywhere though.