Fred Trueman - Englands greatest ever fast bowler

[ruq1]

I think his pace is surely 90+ I hvnt seen such fastest bowler in the history of eng

[bublubhuyan]

No disrespect, but Sydney Barnes is the greatest fast bowler England has ever produced. But Fred Trueman was awesome as well, an all time great.

[rasmatin]

Fantastic bowler !!

[gorgon0]

Wow, I enjoyed that. What a beautiful, simple, smooth and yet powerful bowling action. As a student of the game and a massive fan of the WI I have studied and compared the bowling actions of many cricketers, Dear Fred is is right up there. My favourite English bowler, style-wise, was John Snow. Simply beautiful to watch and only eclipsed in the beauty stakes by Michael Holding, Boyce, Julian and Marshall etc. I must also mention Chris Old's busy bustling and technical style. Good days!

[moosey62]

"That was a very good ball, Mr Trueman" "Aye, wasted on thee"

[Blackhoundrise]

the days when batsmen just walked from a nick. no need to look at umpire just pure modesty. nowadays...?! Note that this is a much more mature career era in Trueman's time. This man was said to be quick and accurate in his 20's. when you get to thirty your speed goes and you become a sneaky swing bowler with some nip. batsman hate you for that. good.....

[MavericksCricket]

The keepers are standing just 12-15m back... today they stand way, way further back

[MavericksCricket]

@HughinCanada _ when you watch John Snow bowl from a fraction later era, but still same time, you can see Trueman was not as fast as him, for example. Snow knocked stumps clean out of the ground and hit batters who were afraid to get too far forward. Trueman was a SWING bowler more than anything else, so seems more like a Jimmy Anderson. No one is denying Trueman in his era, was a fine fast bowler. But he is not the quickest category of bowler, just fast medium. he reminds me of a Peter Siddle

[lbw100mph]

Fred always said when he saw his own clips: "It's amazing how black and white film slows you down." I feel this is the most telling comment from Fred himself.

Fred probably bowled around 85 mph looking at the huge clips I have seen and video footage. The pitches were spiteful when uncovered and the ball jumped about.

It is nothing to do with his background. It's about the speed of the ball. As someone who works with this every day, I would say 85 mph looks accurate..possibly 88mph at a push.

[HughinCanada]

I saw Fiery Fred many times in the 50's. He was faster than any of the other greats from England, Australia and West Indies, and had an electric action. He would have played in more tests if the aristocratic snobs running cricket then had not objected to Fred's raw honesty and down to earth blue collar pedigree.

The videos here are all of him late in career, much slower. At that stage he had replaced pace with guile, as the speed in his early 20's could not be achieved in his mid 30's.

[MavericksCricket]

One thing that strikes you about this is the shocking batting quality and shots being played. Trueman looked no more than medium fast to be honest in many clips I have seen and no doubt could move the ball on uncovered pitches, which are basically club wickets. Legends live on though and we all get a little generous in our praise for what was, an era of pretty ordinary cricket if we are truthful.

[TheEggster70]

@MavericksCricket A couple of balls around the 50 second onward mark looked fairly quick.

[HughinCanada]

@MavericksCricket

Fred was not ordinary...he stood proudly above his contemporaries in test matches, and his star shone in a golden age of batsmen.

Do not believe the hype that today seems to elevate ordinary performers to the gods. Fred never benefitted from such hype, as the cricket powers and the cricket media were uncomfortable with his origins in the coalmines of Yorkshire. He had to earn any approval by outstanding performance.

I repeat, these clips show Fred in the twilight of his career

[ncf1]

Thats not Trueman, thats Lenny Pascoe! ;)

[spencro]

Veaseify Fair enough - though all the batsmen who faced Barnes routinely named him as the best. Trueman was certainly faster than these images suggest. Different eras.

[eviltide]

This is pure gold, thanks for uploading. Really enjoyed this, I always wanted to see him bowl.

[Veaseify]

If there isn't TV footage showing every ball a bowler bowled nobody believes the old guys were any good. A guy called Sydney Barnes who only played about a dozen first class matches was universally regarded as the greatest bowler of all time until recently because he took 189 wickets in 27 test matches - even though he spent most of his career playing minor counties cricket for Staffordshire. Trueman suffers like George Best, there just isn't enough footage of them to show how great they were

[spencro]

@Veaseify Barnes played 133 first class matches. See the ESPN Cricinfo biography

[Veaseify]

@spencro

yes but at least 40 of them of them were for thrown together 'representative' teams like Minor Counties X1...and Wales

Admittedly he did play fifty county championship matches though, which is more than I thought.

One more thing about Trueman, you only see footage of him bowling when he had past 30 and had cut down his pace to bowl off cutters and fast medium outswing, in the fifties he was by all accounts terrifyingly fast, but alas, there is no recorded visual evidence.

[rafhenlow]

It is reported that during one test tour of India?, where the umpiring left a lot to be desired, that in one over he had the batsman LBW, turned down, caught behind, turned down, then cleaned bowled him splattering stumps all over the place. He is reported as quickly turning to the umpire & saying, "Eee, but that were bloody close though".Stuff legends are made of.

[Blackhoundrise]

love his simple action. small pace bowler run up and bowled it full and directed at the stumps or batsman.

[HughinCanada]

@Blackhoundrise

The "small pace bowler runup" was a feature of his twilight years. Fred in his heyday operated from a much longer runup, and in that context the purity of his action shone through, and batsmen found him VERY intimidating.

[aberjed]

the late movement towards the slips made him unplayable at times

[DoctorScrumpy]

Harold Larwood was England's greatest fast bowler. They were terrified of him during the 32/3 leg theory tour.

[joydeepdutta2]

Fred Trueman was NOT a chucker. His bowling arm sometimes has a slight forward bend and it whips through very quickly without any jerk of the arm. The angle of the forearm is such that it does not facilitate the jerk of the arm which is required for a chuck. If anything, trying to jerk from this position will probably slow the ball down. The action is combined (his choice) with a flick of the wrist at the moment of delivery. Completely fair, and the action of a very quick bowler.

[HeartfeltDawn]

@joydeepdutta2 Absolutely, a good analysis. Trueman had fantastic wrist control, one reason why he got so much swing. Compare that to someone like Mitchell Johnson, a guy whose wrist position is all over the shop. Trueman had a fantastic action.

[unclesammyf6t]

@softmfq u r a hack who does not deserve to live.india are shit as is their bowlers.oh and your mom is a hooker.

[kevinastraw]

Those who say Truman was a chucker should be banned from cricket for life for being ignorant morons (that is, if they ever go near a game). This guy had a perfect action, smooth as silk, and deadly as a dragon.

[sohailtanvir]

he is a chucker

[1137moiz]

sizzlingly fast, but the action looks a bit dodgy. Still a brilliant pace bowler

[softmfq]

come on every move with the time modern cricket can't be compared with this type of cricket and i am not talking about T20 cricket it is the test cricket it has become more and more interesting and talking about 90mph pace it normal kind of speed now a days even in yr English team everyone can clock that speed

Akhtar and lee has set a new standard for the fast bowlers.

[MrHistorian123]

@softmfq

I actually faced Fred Trueman in a match for my public school against the MCC (back in 1970, just when he was semi retired and I was in my late teens). Despite having subsequently faced a number of test bowlers in the Yorkshire Leagues (including Tim Bresnan who was nowhere near as quick), I never felt so completely out of my depth as I did with him. He was still extremely rapid in his late 30s - what he must have been like at his peak doesn't bear thinking about. My guess is 90mph+.

[jhfh3112]

T' greatest bloody fast bowler t' ever draw breath!

[brabazon10]

by 'eck. a grand lad an no mistook.

[jagdpanther1944]

Cambridge University batsman, after he was bowled by Trueman

"That was a jolly good delivery"

Trueman: "Aye, it was wasted on thee"

[duntie1]

307 wickets when asked how someone would feel when they broke his record he responded with 'bloody tired' Legend

[furtles]

"greatest fast bowler" who never had a good word for any modern day player when commentating.

no class.

ps. I'm a yorkshireman too......

[summerfield1941]

The GREATEST ever, magical all rounder, England owed him a lot, he was the full package of cricket talent, never to be forgotten.

[softmfq]

he really fast i think he had bowled this spell with 110 km/hr

better then joginder Sharma or Krion pollard

lolly pop bowler

[shaun19475]

@softmfq He is a million times better than any Indian fast bowler.

[softmfq]

@shaun19475 yes he is better then indian bowler but not million time, come on he was just a medium pace bowler and india usually produces medium pace bowler

[shaun19475]

@softmfq No one claimed that he was the fastest ever. But, he is a brilliant bowler. Look at his stats. Speed is not everything. If that were the case, then Lee should be better than McGrath (which he isn't obviously).

[buramabull]

@softmfq You're an idiot , its 90mph easily. Compare it to clips of Lee or Akhtar their pace is similar. Medium pace my left nut.

[Imrankniazi]

TBH, this video doesn't do fiery Fred much justice. This was right at the end of his career and he was battling injuries for a good 12-15 months at that point. That's why you don't see him in full-throttle.

Just thought it was important to put things in perspective before people jump to conclusions. In his hey day, Fred was genuinely quick (NOT express) and had fantastic control of swing and cut. More impotantly he could think batsmen out. A legend indeed!

[closertofiftythanyew]

five for nowt! Now that IS test bowling, and against the ozzies, tidy.

[whouster]

It's a shame that Fred became a bit of a 'back in my day' type commentator on radio. Whatever, he's the greatest fast bowler this country has ever produced, and that's how he'll be remembered. RIP Fred.

[28PaulS]

They dont celebrate much do they?

[agb0303]

i am related to fred trueman :)

[dawsoctor1]

he was even faster in colour!

[WiganMick59]

I've got "As it was" on my ipod......it's a great book. RIP Fred how I wish we had him now aged 21

[TheWhitehall]

King Fred. Bygone era. Different class.

[andmarkcg]

I think the last one was his 300th.

[legbee]

u must be retarded obviously it is a bowl

[thecrucifer]

looked like he chucked it to me...and of course i am retarded...dont you wish you were?

[thecrucifer]

At 0:47 he seemed to have chucked it....

[ourvic]

My statement under was in reference to Trueman and Statham bowling together..

[bluebus270]

Fred was a great ambassador for Yorkshire, unlike Boycott who buggered off down south. I wish someone would explain cricket to me. My Dad's tried for 43 years and i'm still none the wiser.

[tigersoup]

even after 43 years you have understood cricket, then you are just a big dumbass and you wont get it ever! try baseball, thats a sport invented for dumb nuts like you :D

[bluebus270]

Your grammar doesn't make any sense, you thich Yank twat. And baseball was invented by us British - it's called rounders. Why not get back to chewing your Copenhagen and having sex with your mother, redneck.

[speedfreak18ish]

one of the first bowlers to have a slingy action, my neighbour who 70 odd remembers watching him play back in the day and said he sometimes would have a 30 metre run up, still the best weve had

[BruceQ5]

Just finished reading his book and there is something in there about him chucking it...it does look a bit dodgey acually.

[darkmossie633]

most fast bowlers today would love a bowling action like Trueman's

[davidbesser]

The greatest fast bowller of all time. Without a shadow of a doubt

[TheReadingStudent]

It's a shame he wasn't around these days, he wouldn't have to contend with stupid selectors (in the sense that they pick the best at the time - and stick with them 'even if for too long'), he had over 200 wickets (i think) in absolutely no time at all.

[1gwynaled]

Yes, he was a great bowler, but why the lack of reference to an equally great bowler, J B Statham of Lancashire, who shared the new ball with him

[TheReadingStudent]

Read the great mans autobiography and I have to say he thought VERY highly of Mr.Statham. I would have loved to have been around to watch those two bowl for England.

[ourvic]

Saw them both together...yes they were great, I don't live in the past but again "they were great"..

[maxlogica]

he looks like he is chucking it...

[goulby]

no way

[HITTHESKINS]

absolute fantastic bowler.

FRED TRUEMAN is supposed to have had a 90 mph stock ball. . he was a scary and intimatating bowler. with a great short pitched ball.

FRED and JOHN SNOW were my idols

[darkmossie633]

Snowy was my hero, and wish we had both these legendary bowlers now

[aks73]

Interesting how close the wicket-keeper is..he doesnt look that fast.

[custardcream96]

he was my great uncle

[MFMSMITH]

Mozart comes to mind

[englandwc06]

Fred Trueman quite an amazing bowler

[samsharpeye]

Its not about pace, swing, height, seem its all about heart.

[YORKIE230557]

"Fiery Fred"-One of the most recognised Yorkshiremen in History and an Icon that made "every" Yorkshireman proud of his position in the country-but it nearly didnt happen-if Fred had been born just 6 houses further South he would have been born in Nottinghamshire.God Bless You Sir

[TheReadingStudent]

Not as recognised as he deserved though!!!

[JaguarK88]

What do you think it was? All the obituaries say it was Sewards

[TheReadingStudent]

Yes it was...

[tmolet]

He came from my neck of the woods - Maltby in Rotherham - and he had a reputation for being "difficult", especially with people who had airs. But he was honest and a good bloke deep down. He wouldn't do anything underhand or unsporting.

As a bowler, he was simply the best of his generation. And a terrific batsman, scoring at least one first class century. Like Botham, when he appeared at the crease, batting or bowling, he emptied all the bars around the ground.

[whouster]

It's a shame that Fred was rather negative in his commentating days. However, he was a truly great bowler - and having that status earned him the right to express himself. A true great, and a real character.

[theboywiththebucket]

He wasn't negative - he was a Yorkshireman :)

[TheReadingStudent]

*coughBOYCOTTcough* :P

[loungehake]

On all the three occasions in this video, Fred is not bowling flat out. At Headingley in 1961 and at Edgbaston in 1963, Fred was bowling off-cutters. By the Oval test in 1964, Fred was no longer bowling consistently with the same freedom of action. He did have magnificent days and bowled very fast for Yorkshire against the Indian touring side in 1967 when he revisited his pomp. In 1968, his fast bowling and capable captaincy of Yorkshire defeated the Australian touring team by an innings.

[loungehake]

Fred Trueman was as big a sporting hero as any footballer. When Peter May called Fred to the middle to bowl, the whole ground roared its approval. Cricket was never boring when FST was involved and when his sweater came off, the atmosphere was always electric with anticipation.

Here's a true story about Fred. He once encountered three Hull RLFC players in a pub car park between York and Hull. "Cricket's a tart's game" they taunted. Three Hull RLFC players ended up on the ground.

[supahoopsa001]

i had never heard of fred trueman before i watched this and i already respect him more than english footballers and i'm a football fan. fred trueman has already made me feel proud to be english

[softmfq]

@supahoopsa001 ja kam kar ja ka chawal jaya!!!

[summerfield1941]

Trueman brought excitement and character to the game, and was an england treasure, great memories. Thanks for the video.

[StuartMB68]

I used to work with a guy who was a colt at Yorkshire CCC when Trueman was playing. One day apprently he faced Trueman off his 'short' 5 pace run up; poor kid never even saw it by all accounts! Can't say I'd have faired any better .....

[hanifgul]

Its really wonderful to see the greatest fast bowler of fifties and sixties in action. He was probably the pioneer of modern era of fast bowling. The greats like Imran, Lillee, Thomson, Roberts, Marshall carry forward his tradition. Marvellous indeed.

[cjt1881]

How easy did Cowdrey make the 300th wicket slip catch look?!

[JaguarK88]

The younger viewer might like to know that his action has a slight drag of the back foot caused by the rules being different then. A bowler had to have part of his back foot behind the stump line rather than today's front foot rule.

[loungehake]

That is a very pertinant observation. I had quite forgotten about the no-ball law change (I bowled quick in the back foot days and can say with some conviction that the change was not welcomed by fast bowlers). Fred's right boot had a metal toecap for the drag. Frank Lee wrote in his autobiography 'Cricket Lovely Cricket' that Fred, when bowling close to the stumps, would occasionally catch an umpire's ankle with that right toe and exclaim joyfully "That's another one I got!"

[TheReadingStudent]

Strange, I've read his Memoirs and I don't remember anything about that!!!

[JaguarK88]

I agree with the comparison to Lillee. I would like to add Holding. The three of them had the most glorious actions. It is unfortunate that Trueman's recordings are in black and white as this always detracts but when he was in his prime he was so very difficult to play. Very fast with awesome control.

When comparing modern test cricketers with their massive test wicket hauls look at the amount of bowling he did in the year when county play was so much stronger.

[loungehake]

1961 and 30 years old, the last year of his pomp (by 1963 he was beginning to fade). What nostalgia this video has for me and no doubt many others too. Trueman's hair flopping around in that thrilling run up and ferocious delivery and follow through.

Only one other, Dennis Lillee, makes the hairs on the back of my neck tingle like Trueman does. Both greats, neither was the fastest ever but sheer perfection nonetheless.

[nayodabayo]

Simply the greatest fast bowler this country has produced, and arguably the best ever.

Unfortunately lived in the wrong era.

What we would give for a man of his quality today!

Robin Tumman (a Yorkshireman)

[Inkysven007]

to reach 5-0 twice in a test career is simply remarkable, I don't care what country it was against.

[cjt1881]

I kind of agree graemp, and they should have played far more together. Trueman had better overall record against Australia and West Indies, although Statham was less expensive for similar number of wickets in the West Indies. Statham was always the workhorse, (Tyson for example), Trueman cut and thrust, exceptional in England. As for weak India, Pakistan, New Zealand, you can only play who you're given. I give equal status to Statham.

[skvfighter]

like a less flexible jeff thompson

[cjt1881]

graemp he took over half of his test wickets against Australia and the West Indies, grahamcooksie and fbakban his action is sheer perfection and also grahamcooksie calling him Yorkshire scum shows your lack of cricket knowledge, surely by the same token you would refer to Sutcliffe, Leyland, Hutton, Wardle, Close and Boycott the same way and assuming you're English you'll be familiar with the saying strong Yorkshire, strong England.

[graemp]

cjt1881: Since he played over half of his Test matches against Australia and WI, he should have taken over half of his wickets against them. He never played a Test on the 'unhelpful to seam bowling' pitches of India and Pakistan. Against the weak Test sides of NZ, India and Pakistan he picked up an easy 115 wickets. Compared with Statham, Trueman had the easier Test career. His personality and the fact that he was the first to pass 300 have given him, justifiably or not, an elevated status.

[JaguarK88]

I was at Edgbaston the day he got his 6-4 against the West Indies (he finished with 7 - 28). I have only seen two bowlers that come close to him for speed and skill and both had similar wonderful actions: Denis Lillee and Michael Holding. I understand Harold Larwood had a similar action but that is before my time.

[mymentor]

I wouldn't agree that Truman's England's best ever (that mantle belongs to Sid Barnes, IMO), but a brilliant bowler he certainly was.

[graemp]

No doubt he was a useful bowler but he got many of his wickets on helpful uncovered pitches against sides like India, Pakistan and New Zealand who were nowhere near as good then as they are now.

[CRAWBURGER]

graemp you are a friggin' twat...great bowler greater charachter...Yorkshiremen are the best of the English (and no I'm not one myself)much respect from NZ...RIP Freddie

[asdfrewqq]

cricketopinions.blogspot dot com - the right place for the right opinions

[MrTactless42]

"T'greatest fast bowler what ever drew breath"

The man said it himself. Brilliant player and a proper personality. He was ever cliche that's ever been laid against Yorkshire!

[kbsanjay]

all time classic

[applezballz]

curtley ambrose was better. antigua all the way bitches!

[CRAWBURGER]

applezballz curtly was good but Marshall was waaaay better....Barbados all the way chappie!

[fbakban]

Wow! Great to see Fred in action.

But his action is definitely suspect.

[gingedaywalker101]

but still had he been playing today he would average like 19 at test level, hes too gd for all modern batsmen

[gretchin66]

To be fair there are big puffs of dust where the ball lands...possibly not the best pitch in the world...

[gingedaywalker101]

wat a bowler and looking at these videos they used to play without cring and screaming every appeal unlike some fuking cry baby aussie like Ponting.

[tekNiqueAU]

richie got a pair

[7df32mm5]

You know what I find amazing.. He was the first man to take 300 test wickets and what was his reaction? A dignified raise of the arms.

These days you get some muppet bowl out a tail ender and hes shouting and screaming with his team mates climbing all over him as if it was some sort of incredible achievement.

[StuartCulli]

What's with the umpire? Seriously?

[7df32mm5]

Harmy should take notes

[jeroid]

Great to see this, thanks.

[englandwc06]

r.i.p fred its amazing how he got 5-0 then 6-4 in about 24 overs bloody amazing there has never been a fast bowler like him and thats that.

[locutus83]

What a fiery bowler! Great stuff Madbob73!! Where d'ya get these classic clips from mate?