Fastest ever cricket over 1976 by Michael Holding

[141cbc]

Actually, the fastest-ever over officially is the one Shoaib bowled V England in WC 2003 match when he broke the 100 miles barrier. There were I believe four balls in that over above 98 mph!

[kauztuv]

What on earth did you mean by fastest ever cricket 'Over'? This is just one ball.

[deadsilent28]

hey sorry these bowlers were before my time, but how fast was Holding?

[hoffaeable]

@deadsilent28 His die hard fans will say he was as fast if not quicker than Akhtar or Lee. Facts and figures tell a different story. He was clocked during the World's Fastest Bowler Competition in 79 and came in at 140 kph (+- 2 kph). All in all, a brisk bowler, capable of reaching 145 kph at best. His biggest appeal however was his smooth action hence the nickname - "whispering death". Keep in mind, he played in a generation with little protection and uncovered pitches hence an overhype in pace

[wattomatic]

@hoffaeable yeah but its not all about being a fast bowler its about being a tactical thinker and most of the time it is the fast-medium bowlers doing all the damage in the batting line-up

[hoffaeable]

@wattomatic Agreed, I was just answering deadsilent28's question about how fast Holding was

[wattomatic]

@hoffaeable oh okay then great answer by the way :)

[everybodylovessachin]

If Gavaskar, Richards and many others play today they will sure wear helmet...They did not have options to choose..it was natural to them during those days.. EVEN BOWLERS DURING THOSE DAYS PLAYED WITHOUT HELMETS..forget Gavaskar and Richards....Do not say they were Brave..by any means..I think they were more stupid not to wear it..specially Batsman..

[ashokatibrewal]

@everybodylovessachin agree 100% i will like to add to your good observations. consider you are a batsman who plays when the helmets have not been invented. and suddenly one day helmet arrives( it arrived for a reason. bowlers from the mid 70 onwards got a lot faster than before, so earlier it was not much needed)- what will be your natural reaction? you will resist wearing helmets. it may bravado or whatever. but if you were started playing with helmets all aroubnd you it will be normal

[everybodylovessachin]

@ashokatibrewal You know when people make excuses to make others belive that they were brave and heores that sucks ...I mean comeon..nobody is superman in the world everybody is the same...I do not think Gavaskar or Richards or whoever plaed during those times never afraid of getting hit on the headluckiluy nobody got serious injury but when people say Richards is great because of helmet I laugh...THAT IS NOT RICHARDS THAT IS YOU SPEKING YOUR MIND WHO REALLY AFRAID OF FACING CRICKET BALL

[ashokatibrewal]

cmon are you out of your minds? holding looks medium pace compared to todays bowler. seeing him i think a modern day wicket keeper will be tempted to stand up to him. though to his own peril- he is deceptively fast.

do not be fooled by the behind the stumps angle-it makes you look fast.

he is at best 90 miles an hour at his fastest- tops.

and do you guys seriously think fast bowlers have slowed down due to some strange phenomenon when every other athlete and human being has only grown taller?

[indianspartacus]

@ashokatibrewal Don't talk like a bozo, are you just born or what ? It is like, a frog in the monsoon saying he never saw such downpour, grow up kiddo, Holding was terror, only difference was that when these bowlers were bowling short balls then batsmen were filling emergency rooms in the hospitals.

[ashokatibrewal]

@indianspartacus are you just born or what?... so where did you pick up that line? pretty cool, is it not?

do you think batsman have not evolved or something? do you think the reaction time, the body structure isd all the same? do you not know sportsman are now extracted from a much wider pool of people? watch the videos.. he does not loom that good to me. he is of the standard of walsh tops. ambrose and bishop are way superior to him.

[ashokatibrewal]

Respond to this video... he was a terror or so and so is pretty useless to compare across generations.

[ashokatibrewal]

Respond to this video... some subscribe to the school cricketers have somehow become cowards. bowlers have slowed down and batsman have become useless. yeah and muhammad ali will beat the crap ot of any modern boxer and pele was miles ahead of messi and mcenroe is way superior than nadal.

[asrarulhaq2002]

come on, these guys probably got it up to around 94-95 at best

[kmfmm]

@asrarulhaq2002 pretty impressive though lol + unlike shoaib they wern't high all the time...

[asrarulhaq2002]

@kmfmm you could only dream of having someone as exciting and exhilarating to watch as Shoaib was in your team. We should appreciate talent for what it is. That is what it means to be a cricket fan. Are you Indian by any chance?

[kewlkarthi89]

This video supposed to show an over ... Dumb Twat .....

[kashmiripsycho]

i thought the video would be about the fastest over in terms of time it took to finish it !! FTW

[TSunil60]

Just to think Gavaskar faced them without a helmet

Scored 100s

And was never injured

He used a skull cap later in the career

[bilalhidayat]

That was one the most stupid cricket video on the internet i just saw

[bigboyrichbitch]

wow. they used to have one ball overs?

you must be retarded

[DominatorD1]

The great batsman and victim of holding Geoff Boycott used never to wear a helmet, as he said it prevented him from seeing the ball properly

[wilki31]

I went to an evening with Fred Truman a few years before he died and he claimed he was the first to wear a helmet on a cricket pitch. The story goes that it was getting dark and he went out to bat with a miners helmet on so he could use the light to see the ball, or at least convince the umpire that prehaps he should call it off for the day!

[nellorelion]

he is gods own pacemen.!!

[smiley1726]

One wicket, Big deal...

[WatTyler13]

@smiley1726

It was a big deal. Holding was lethal.

[michaelspikel]

Back in the day batters relied on keeping your eye on the ball, good footwork and good technique. Heavy bats, covered pitches and helmets have taken all of those basics out of the game

[theabstentious]

It was surely fast & as somebody earlier pointed out,it was helped by the fact that it was a reverse camera angle. In one of the videos of Sussex county playing in UAE, Luke Wright looks a genuine fast bowler,since the camera was behind the batsman.

[madmax8903]

@theabstentious No, in fact seeing from behind or in front of the wicket "slows down" the ball from the viewer's perspective. I remember seeing Malcolm Marshall bowl at Lord's in 1984, sitting perpendicular to the pitch. You literally couldn't see the ball. You picked up a disturbance in the wicket followed immediately by the sound of ball on willow or leather as the wicketkeeper gathered it, that was all.

[TheGerbilsRevenge]

No helmets. I would have worn a nappy.

[phillipr61]

Jeff Thomo..a lot faster! 74/75!

[thornwivans]

watch the video titled

Lillee & Thomson bowling speeds

it is a uni study on the speeds of the bowlers from the 70's

[WiganMick59]

I saw Mike Holding bowling at Old Trafford in 1976........Never seen anything faster than him. Thankfully he never signed for a team in my league.

[AIMANZUL1]

@WiganMick59 wow that must have been something. Even Tony Greig who faced both Thommo and Holding at there quickest said that Holding was consitently faster. Thommo has a surprise ball faster than any though. Watching Holding at Old Trafford must have been something. Do you have BALL TO BALL footage of that spell?

[WiganMick59]

@AIMANZUL1 .....Unfortunately the only footage will be in the BBC archive, Things were pretty low tech then! I remember one ball in particular, a bouncer nearly went for 6 byes, and thats not an exaggeration. I've seen the video of the worlds fastest bowling competition. Thommo reckons he hadn't played for some time and was "A bit rusty!".....I wouldn't like to have faced either of them.....from 44 yards!

[AIMANZUL1]

@WiganMick59 Cool. but you know I think that in time they should release the archived footage also. I think international players can get their hands on the footage even if only in the TV station ...so their must be a way that fans can see the footage , eventually I mean.

[muhideen]

To think that some batsmen didn't wear helmets when facing quickies like Holding ... *shudders*

[RedHillRabbitoh]

That was so quick I didn't even see it

[Caracalla23]

Holding took 14 wickets in the match with sheer pace and accuracy on a featherbed Oval pitch were more than 1100 runs had been scored in the first two innings. I remember watching the match and even as an England fan his bowling was awesome.

[marxistsoldier]

@Caracalla23 what speed do u think he was bowling?

wish they had speed guns in those days.

[Caracalla23]

@marxistsoldier 90mph+ but it was the fact he was bowling fast and full. Most of his wickets were either bowled or lbw.

[marxistsoldier]

@Caracalla23 u think mid to high 90's or high 80's low 90's like fast bowlers today?

[Caracalla23]

@marxistsoldier I also think that what makes him look so fast is the fact that you're seeing him from the batsmans end. TV shots today are always taken from behind the bowlers arm which I think makes bowlers look slightly slower.

[amaljohn]

video poster an idiot

[ashliski]

Message to the video poster:

A cricket basic for you as you clearly are clueless on the sport:

An over consists of 6 legitimate deliveries (excluding no-balls and wides)

A delivery is what you posted.....(you idiot)

[playford21]

wouldnt fancy facing holding without a helmet

[ALotofWind]

"Whispering Death" what a legend and a genuinely nice bloke

[satawajirao]

OMG...truly called as a Rolls Royce of fast bowling

[ezeeedarling]

thanks for sharing ... but i cudnt understand the title ? how is this fastest over ? ..

[DDazzle1]

fastest speeds 6 balls of the over totalled

[everybodylovessachin]

@ezeeedarling NO..he was average and glorified

[escalateme]

I know this was Holdings match, rightly so as it was a flat track, but I think Dennis Amiss got a double century? if so that is quite remarkable given the ferocity of pace he faced.

[dlamiss]

Amiss was under so much pressure considering he had had a bad time at the hands of Lillee & thomson 18 months earlier. to score 203 showed just how good a player he was. Derek Underwood interviewed for the book grovel said was the greatest comback innings he had ever witnessed.

Dennis Amiss-top player & my hero hence the name on here !!!

[widlad7]

@dlamiss I am 48 now but I believed myself to be Amiss' biggest fan in the 70's. He became my hero after scoring 262 no at Kingston in '73. I wrote to him in '75 and he wrote back and sent a signed photo. I cried when he hit the boundary to bring up his hundred at the Oval in 1976!

[dlamiss]

think you were his second biggest fan sir !!

i had the pleasure of going on a cricket holiday on the canberra organised by chris martin jenkins in september 86 tom graveney chris cowdrey jim swanton & a certain D.L.Amiss were the cricket celebs on board. to meet Amiss after he had been my hero for 12 years & to spend time with him was and remained the greatest moment of my life. i got a photo of him and i together and his signed comments of the back were fantastic

top cricketer

top bloke

[widlad7]

I saw Amiss' last dismissal in a Test, Old T '77. I am writing a book about a cricketer, not Amiss, but if it was I would call it 'Dennis Lillee broke my heart.'

[dlamiss]

dont think he touched the ball at old t that day!!!!Amiss did have some success against Lillee4instance the64in the centenary test was IMO was as good as any of his England100s!

2b fair he wasnt the only player who sufffered on the74tour.the mistake he made was not asking2b left out at the beginning of the75 series in order2regain his confidence.

im sure had he done that he would have come back against the windies for the whole of the76series

ru allowed2say who ur writing a book about sir ?

[widlad7]

It was a strange dismissal-I remember Greg Chappell waiting an eternity for it to come down! Surely his 90 at the MCG was his best against the Aussies? I would prefer not to reveal my subject here, I hope you understand. Thanks.

[dlamiss]

the 90 was obviously his highest score against the aussies but he made that score before D.K.Lillee (who ironically is my second favourite cricketer) got him out for a few low scores. thats why i believe thst knock in the centenary test was as good as anything he did forengland with the exception of his two double hundreds. especially as he along with everyone else failed in the first innings of that match !!!!

[widlad7]

The 64 was a creditable effort but it was pale by comparison with Randall's brilliant innings. Watching Amiss bat against Lillee was as painful an experience as I have ever had. As much as I loved Amiss I must say that my fondest memories now of those times were the three seperate occasions on which I saw Barry Richards bat-all three times he scored a century! Magnificent.

[dlamiss]

indeed Randalls effort was a superb knock. it was sad he never really established himself in test cricket. he always seemed to be the first man dropped whenever changes were made in the batting order. He was IMO treated shabbily by England which considering he batted in every position from one to seven was very bad luck for him.

[able198]

@escalateme

but how fast will they bowl on a flat pitch so wat's remarkable about that double century if it was a fast bouncy pitch then i will agree

[indianspartacus]

How on earth batters were facing these fast bowlers without the helmets, hats off to Gavaskar, Richards and many others.

[Saville2341]

@indianspartacus yeah it took em a while to work out that when the ball hits on the temple they're dead. Respect to the inventor of helmets.

[BiggerThinking1]

@Saville2341 No cricketers have ever died as far as I know. On the other hand 30 Formula 1 drivers were killed in their sport - MUCH more dangerous and brave!

[upforlastnameleft]

@BiggerThinking1: Several HAVE died or been seriously injured. Usually by a freak accident such as getting hit in the eye. Google "Dangers_of_cricket_balls"

[mr8I7]

@upforlastnameleft

Yep sadly someone from one of our local cricket teams is in intensive care because they got hit by a cricket ball.

[upforlastnameleft]

@mr8I7: Sorry to hear that - hope he makes a good recovery.

[Saville2341]

@BiggerThinking1 Shut the fuck up. You have to be a bad ass to play cricket. Only pussies drive F1 cars bitch!

[Camelsarse]

@indianspartacus Watch the Brian Close video.

Holding hit him in the chest. How it didn't stop his heart or break his rib cage I have no idea.

Forget the batsmen being brave..........I think the tailenders were even braver considering they couldn't bat!

I always show people the picture of Mike Gatting after being hit my Marshall when they say Cricket is not a tough sport...........

[indianspartacus]

@Camelsarse Agreed

[gujranwala2001]

@indianspartacus Never use Gavaskar and Richards in same sentence.

[indianspartacus]

@gujranwala2001 Why so, do I have to take your permission? These two batsmen inspired the greatest batsman of all time. Sunil Gavaskar is my hero, an inspiration for millions who produced batters like SRTs and Dravids. I am sorry, I don't think you are worth talking to me. Your knowledge of cricket is limited and obscured by hatred perhaps. BBye.

[Jetball74]

@indianspartacus Damn right. When you think about it, its surprising that no-one was killed by a bouncer...especially in the body line series!!

[Aurainmaker]

Amazing Action.

Amazing Speed.

Amazing Accuracy

An Amazing Person.

and An Amazing Accent.

[hyena131]

Right on all points, particularly the latter.

Mr. Holding could make a fortune in voice over work if he was so inclined. Probably gets numerous offers and turns them down.

[everjadeforever]

No disrespect to any fast bowler, but it is on record that Michael Holding bowled the fastest over in test cricket to Geoff Boycott. All six deliveries were extremely fast and accurate ! The fact that this was done on a very flat wicket makes it even more incredible !

[dan32113]

Michael Holding states that Jeff Thomson is the fastest bowler he ever saw! & He bowled with Roberts, Garner, Marshall, & against Khan, Akram, Hadlee, Lillee etc. but Jeff had the most pace, & he was injured after "78. couldn"t bowl full speed.

[everjadeforever]

Yes, I agree Thompson was consistently the fastest bowler in the world, however just for that one over Holding accomplished the impossible, it seemed everything went right for him in that over, you just had to see it to believe it !

[groovingsoul]

That was a good yorker.......

[sunderlandgent]

Michael Holding is the greatest fast bowler of all time.Poetry in motion with a deadly sting.

[dan32113]

Malcolm Marshall was better, His average proves it!

[brenan85]

I'm not saying you're right or wrong but averages don't always tell the full story.

[dan32113]

Yes You are correct, its hard to argue there both special bowlers. Ricky Ponting has a better average than Viv Richards but I know who I"d rather have batting for Me, & I"ll give You a clue, not the one from criminal stock!!!

[headofharry]

loved his run up

[vkellman]

still my favorite of all time......the Cadillac of fast bowlers !!!

[Charyaa]

The whispering Death.. one and Only Micheal the killer Holding!!!!

[CMdiRossi]

There's the reason Holding was called The Whispering Death

[anon47]

I can't actually keep track of the ball. That said, I'm sleep deprived. I also have to wonder whether the frame rate affects the apparent speed of the delivery, or is this just a thought dreamt up by a sleep deprived mind?

[makpak]

ur fucked mate.

[teestingrey]

quickest ball i've ever seen! looks quicker than Akthar's one tbh

[muqtadir90]

its cuz its from a bowlers angle ..shoaib's ball was from a regular broadcast angle ..so thats why it looks quicker but it isnt .

[negooog]

those WI bowlers were phenomenal. What they had over anyone was they were quick for their height. Facing a 6'5 guy at 135km/h is bad enough let alone 6'7+ @ 145km/h+.

[bratislava47]

holding was a great quick bowler but definitely not an "all rounder" his batting and fielding was piss weak...

[worrell84]

Bratislava47- you never saw holding on the field. He was one of the best fielders in the deep. Quick on the field, and has a highest score of 76. But in his time Windies tailenders hardley had time to bat. By the way holding, roberts, garner, marshall were better than many a modern tailender. And who needed to bat when you had 4 of the fastest that demolished teams.

so go F&% K your self.

[dilannaik007]

good bowling btw do u know the difference between an "over" and a "bowl", go learn cricket terms dude.

[kinggimped]

@dilannaik007 It's called a 'ball' not a 'bowl', but yes, in essence you're right.

[theabstentious]

@dilannaik007 You commented on the title. For your kind information, Sir! Its "BALL" and not "BOWL" as you wrote. Go learn cricketing terms, dude!!!!!!

[Paxmanite]

@dilannaik007 or the difference between a 'delivery' and a 'bowl', eh? Dude.

[Paxmanite]

@dilannaik007

[limewire25]

@dilannaik007 you mean a ball?

[momthegreatest]

@dilannaik007 he will be knowing but to make many see this video,he had done this smartly,may be..

[TheVishal0007]

@dilannaik007 It's ball dumbass.Learn yourself!!!

[85Aheadstix]

@TheVishal0007 Learn to spell!, its dumb arse!.

[TheVishal0007]

@85Aheadstix I learnt how to spell "You are a faggot" and "your mom's a lesbian"

[ezyroller]

I reckon he had the best action of any fast bowler... fast to the crease, but so balanced and smooth. Beautiful to watch.

[Toslick23]

fuk thats quick and to think they had no guards on their helmets in those days

[rudeboyz09]

that was a quick over

[jumpnjza2]

The English playing against people who survived slavery...good luck.

[rudeboyz09]

english abolished slavery mate, first nation to do so, 1833.

[jumpnjza2]

awesome.

[ajith0787]

yes mate, but they kept looting underdeveloped countries till 1950 s :)

[kictodd]

that ball looked no slower that 98 mph

[specialjon1]

no helmets in those days.

[Sh0ebakA]

i would shit myself without a helmet facing him. then again in only 15 :P

[rivera213]

You can't say that Holding bowled FASTER than Brett & Shoaib since they've been clocked.

Holding at his peak was definitely up there with Lee, Akhtar, Thompson, Trueman in terms of AVERAGE speed & he may've bowled a 100mph ball, but we don't KNOW so it's guess work.

It could just be the wickets were so much faster back then.

The players i mentioned were/are all consistently 90-95mph out of the hand when in full flow though for sure.

Holding, Croft, Roberts, Garner........ jesus christ!!

[hirdy6]

rivera, How fast was this Jesus Christ bloke?

[rivera213]

Ha ha ha ha.

I literally LOL.

[hirdy6]

Mate I don't think I would want to face up to him!!! Would throw new ball to him no worries if he was in my side. By the way I hope he is!!!

[MasterOfHalo07]

i think is a brilliant player and i hav met him he is one of the worlds best all rounders

[anthonythirteen]

Poor Chris Balderstone (RIP)

[shantola]

wth