Dennis Lillee and Viv Richards - Boxing Day 1981

[thornwivans]

In the worlds fastest bowler competition imran finished second to Thompson

[SLICKR392]

Lillee runs for 3 days and then bowls.

[StinkyKnobcheese]

I remember going to see Aus vs the Windies at VFL park. Windies needed a 6 off the last ball to win. Mick Malone was bowling. Big Joel Garner smashed it for a six. You simply don't get the level of excitement or skill of players nowadays.

When Viv walked out the excitement was palpable. The best batsman in the world against the best bowler in the world. Just everything about ODIs was better in those days.

[CharbTurbo]

cricket is so rigged/fixed/set up!

its all about money and getting the crowds in. as it is still now.

[capricornianfool]

tony greig sounds like a nancy-boy back then

[rangy8888]

Cricket now a days is boring. Be it the one day matches where some 600 runs are scored by both teams in a day or the worthless T20 matches. Noting is interesting. The real talent has long gone. Viv Richards, Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, Kapildev, Gavaskar, Dennis Lillee, Rodney Hogg.... ooh good glory days.

[cardigan3000]

@rangy8888 i dont disagree with the point but htf does rodney hogg get in that list?

[walE3dk]

On boxing day, EVERYTHING is for sale, at cheap. So was the Viv's wicket.

[rendlesham]

i read that richards said lillee was the best bowler he ever faced..would he go in your world best ever team? is it ambrose? roberts? am i an alcoholic? 

[khanpreston1]

it would be a great great joy taking his wicket

[karthikks82]

Those days are golden days.

[tony5486zo54l]

viv scored 4 centuries in wsc. But did u know he scored it all in the aussie leg where grounds used were very small and not usual test playing and thommo was playin for officiaj team. In wi leg 5 tests were played test grounds were used thommo was back. Viv averaged with a highest of 62.

[tony5486zo54l]

@svgkm- the pitches back in 70 and 80 were slower than 90 but its also true modern pitches have become a lot more true and even.todays bowlers have become on an average 4-5 km faster than two decades back. Gavaskar was a superb technician and only behind viv in his time. But fact is he could never have played like a tendulkar,tendu is much more talented. Its a normal thing in sports. Djokovic is way better than bjorg, messi better than pele...

[svgkm]

@tony, those days number of bouncers bowled in one were unlimited, pitches were uncovered and there were no helmets, or support staff or variety of refreshments for cricketers. Cricketers stayed in poor hotels, travelled in boats to reach grounds. And yet they delivered best for their teams.

I know u r tendo fan, but at any time Gavaskar is a better batsman than tendo or dravid. Stop mocking at older people unless they did any wrong to you.

[tony5486zo54l]

why do not dennis looks a fastish medium pacer by todays standards? And with a height of 5'11 why he will struggle to get a job today.lol. But a great bowler for his time.

[immortalpop]

@tony5486zo54l

What a dick. In the later part of Lillee's career he slowed down, adapted his action and relied more on swing, seam and length - just like Richard Hadlee - and ultimately became a better bowler. Why am I wasting my breath on someone who has no fecking idea whatsoever of cricket?

[tony5486zo54l]

lol. Lillee looks like a fastish medium pacer by todays standards and with a height of 5 11 he will struggle to get a job today. Btw did u know the so called great imran fastest delivery was 138.

[KASHMIRI7864LYFE]

@tony5486zo54l so called? he lifted the world cup and u lot were crying like bichez your dad so called

[niralipvyas]

@tony5486zo54l thomson, roberts, marshall, garner were among the fastest bowlers in those days. lilee, imran were medium fast bowlers.

[masterblaster234]

@niralipvyas Result of the Fastest bowler 1979 competition. 1979 Study

A study was made by Dr Frank Pyke of the University of Western Australia, Perth. The single fastest ball in an eight-ball over bowled is listed (measured in what is believed to be net conditions). In mph...

Jeff Thomson 91.86

Michael Holding 87.76

Imran Khan 86.77

Colin Croft 86.45

Andy Roberts 86.08

Dennis Lillee 84.72

[LiamE69]

@masterblaster234 They were measuring average speed down to the other end though. Release speed is what is always quoted today and that is always higher. Thommo has his release speed measured twice, once in 75 and again in 76. Both times he was clocked over 160kph, or about 8mph faster than the wicket to wicket average in 79. A similar differences between release and average speeds puts the others in the 90's.

And yes i have seen the film, it was in a net.

[Warlock786]

@niralipvyas You need to get your facts right. Imran was counted amongst the quickest in his time as fast as roberts or marshall, and certainly faster than garner. There was no measurement system in those days but only Thompson and Holding beat him hands down in speed.

[PorchMonkeyBoysBack]

I still love test cricket but I would agree that there's not as many real characters as there was at one time There are a few ,Swanny for one but not many

Still, I hope when the next Richards/Lillee/Botham/Warne/e­tc comes along that he's English...(or at least not Aussie ;-)

[Dovelike]

Have to agree with Spookstr. I am so glad I had the opportunity to witness this great time in cricket. So many different personalities. Now the numbers of people watching test cricket has dropped considerably. One of the main reasons is the lack of personalities to make this style of cricket attractive to watch.

[ashokatibrewal]

@joshih22- apparently calculations of these past masters is a bit tricky. in another measurement by uni of western australia or something he measured below 140 same for imran and hadlee. holding was around 142. this was in the year 1972.

[ashokatibrewal]

cmon lillee looks like a medium pacer.

[joshih22]

@ashokatibrewal they calculated Lillee's speed at curtin university in WA and apparently he could reach a max of 153kp/h

[TheNomadintime]

anyone got video of mohsin hassan khan batting for 200 at lords , back in the day plz

[SPOOKSTR]

Those were the days when cricket was worth watching..Lilliee, Richards, Thommo, Big Bird, Lloyd, Roberts, Pascoe, and even good old Dilip Doshi (couldn't catch a cold to save his life)....these days, i haven't got a clue who's who on account of them ALL boring me to death.

[psspeed]

@SPOOKSTR your time is over mate!! you may rest in peace now, while we live the moment and crib similarly some 30 years down the line!!

[SPOOKSTR]

@psspeed

lol...my time is over? Speak for yourself mate. My time has just begun. Cricket today is for the birds.

[murkygreen]

@SPOOKSTR correction. not for birds.. its for worms... and maggots. Cricket of old was the real thing. This so called modern game is a travesty, an insult.. a desecration.....

Live long and prosper !

[murkygreen]

@SPOOKSTR damn right... Can not add to what you ve said. Echo your views in spirit and letter.

[Darrinmanly]

@SPOOKSTR Dilip Doshi!!!! hahahaha he was a shocking fielder!...worse than Dutchy Holland!

[GunnerSlave]

@SPOOKSTR Haha, not at all because back then you were actually very good but now are actually quite poor. Youve got to support your team through the bad times just as much as through the goodl

[SPOOKSTR]

@GunnerSlave

Oh we are? I wouldn't know on account of the game putting me to sleep with all its boring players with zero character. Even if Australia were number 1....i still wouldn't watch it.

[GunnerSlave]

@SPOOKSTR Thats bollocks and you know it! If you only watch sport to see what players characters are like then thats a pretty poor reflection on you. Leave the commentators to character and leave the players to play well, thats what theyre paid for. And which players do you find have no character? Swanny? Flintoff? Youve just got sour grapes because your country are now gob shite at cricket haha!

[SPOOKSTR]

@GunnerSlave

Look numb nutts, i couldn't give a flying rats arse what you think. I follow the MotoGP, and in that sport, we Aussies are the worlds best...where-as with you stinky Poms, the only thing you can drive is your finger up your ass. By the way mate, you need a bath, i can smell you from here.

[GunnerSlave]

@SPOOKSTR hahaha, you only follow your country when youre winning. typical. No doubt if you win the RWC you'll ditch Moto GP for rugby again! And for you remark about us not being able to drive.......Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button anyone?! Silly Aussies and silly silly comments. I guess you dont watch F1 because Mark Webber hasnt ever won a championship? have to follow to a lesser sport to find one your good at!

[SPOOKSTR]

@GunnerSlave

Your right !!! I dont watch F1...another boring as bat shit sport, right up there with cricket. At the end of the day, im an Aussie and you...well your just another smelly toothless Pom wishing you were an Aussie.

[TheJimmyNewc]

@SPOOKSTR My brother wouldn't let us leave the house one night for a party until he saw, on the news, Bishen Bedi, with a bat in his hand. He had got out that day and we had missed it, back when it was on the ABC. They never showed him, he was so upset it was ridiculous. He finally saw him weeks later and yes he had his pink turbin on. And you are right, today they are boring people who think they have something to say, its embarrassing.

[truespyfan]

@SPOOKSTR sadly I agree.. The problem is that its a business now, not a sport.. :(

The other issue is as others have said, who can trust any result these days with the paki's etc .... its turned into rubbish like soccer.

[suryasanyal]

moreover look at his figure... great... ideal fast bowler......



[bigmaxy07]

And to think he came back from surgery, shortened his run up and got even better!

[youandyamum]

the rhythm in the run up.... The balance. The action in the delivery. who bowls like this nowadays?

[adityanaikdesai]

@youandyamum no one man. . . just the wind ruffling his hair and shirt makse him look quick already. . . wht he did with the ball was even better

[rodtorre7]

@youandyamum ASHISH NEHRA

[fendweller]

How long is that run-up? He's virtually on the fence when he starts!

[rcaddict72]

i remember watching this game on wide world of sports!..was young but the family (and me) went nutso..lol

[7johno1]

I was at that game at Lilac Hill, Adam took a one handed screamer of a catch of Dennis's bowling near the boundary line. I think Dennis later stated that he must of got that skill from his mum because she was a good catch.

[AIMANALI]

@7johno1 Holding took 11 in this match ...how was he to watch ?

[TheAdventurer1988]

Does anyone know if DK's sons Adam and Dean play for Western Australia? Were they any good? I cannot believe that such brilliant genes didn't 'follow-through' to the next generation :-)

[IanGorton]

@TheAdventurer1988 I think they're only club cricketers but didn't quite make it. Seems not many Father/Son combinations have played for Australia.

[TheAdventurer1988]

@IanGorton The younger one, Adam was supposedly a medium pace bowler.

He and his Dad played a friendly game against the visiting Pakistan team at Lilac hill in 1999. I got that from DK's autobiography, so was just wondering.

Thanks for the answer, anyway.

[ShotMyWad]

I remember that exact ball way back when...your hair stood up on the back of your neck, real proud Aussie moment. Just as good a moment as the classic John Dyson catch.