tommo was timed 99.6 MPH in this very series, well just compare this video with one of shoaib in 1999 Perth against R Ponting one over, only 150 KPH balls r much faster then what these two bowl. this TOYOTA sponsered Speed gun was much tighter then all other ones, still shoaib and Lee acheived speeds of 155 KPH here. while in 1st speed contest held in 1979, Tommo acheived 147.9KPH, only 2nd was holding 141.3KPH and 3rd Imran khan139.8KPH
@maliks333 There is one big difference here man. In those days the bowlers were timed at the batman's end - once the ball had hit the pitch and travelled 22 yards. These days the bowlers are timed in the first 2 metres from their hand. It is estimated that the ball slows by at least 10% by the time it reaches the batsman. You do the math...
@69Ocker bollocks...you only have to compare the deliveries that bounce to the ones that dont to see that the shorter balls are generally measured as slower than the fuller ones. They are measured over the full distance. The deliveries that were measured by lillee and thompson were done under controlled conditions..not during a match.
well tommo was fastest at that time, but he looked horrifing only bcz there were no helmets then. Shoaib, Tait, Lee, Waqar younis n Donald (respectively) all r much fitter n faster then them. only now there is no fear in batsmen due to perfect safety equiments. physical fitness is key to bowl fast for all these bowlwers. But on consistent basis Shoaib is fastest of all and followed very closely by Bret Lee, all rest were less in pace.
@harpsharp01 Are you joking? Look at 2:07. The keeper is terrorised let alone the batsman. These are agro bowlers, desperate to regain the Ashes and mate, that ball must have been around 165kph.
Silly comment below re Marshall and Akram being quicker than Thomson. I saw all three bowl live on many occasions and Thomson was faster than both by some distance. No question however, that they were both better bowlers than Thomson.
Lillee and Thompson will always be lesser bowlers because they were basically wicket-to-wicket slingers requiring considerable assistance from the conditions. Moreover, as you can see, they were hardly swinging or seaming anything, and look way less threatening watching from behind the bowler. Lillee developed some tricks later on but Thompson remained a local threat only. Marshall and Akram were quicker at their peaks, watching from any angle.
I saw Lillee and Thommo at Gabba in 1975 against Windies. Sitting side on from the old dog track. seen a few cricket matches there but have never seen anyone as fast as Thommo. Was difficult to sight the ball and my eyes were keen then. Have seen brett Lee from almost same spot albeit in a stadium seat. Maybe a trick of the passing years but he didnt seem in same zone as Thommo that day. And my eyes arent as sharp these days!
Haha only these two struck so much fear into a batsmen... Even scarier then today cause of all the safety equipment used. All of todays gloves, boxes, pads are all better and nowadays theirs so much more you can wear as a batsmen Eg: thigh guard. And these two were even FASTER then 100 mph (Thommo in particular). Scary stuff.
these are just examples of horrible batting rather than vicous bowling. Play any clip of Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Malanga or Brett Lee bowling and you will see the difference.
If you compare eras, the main thing you will notice is the quality of the footage. Not sure how quick Lee, etc would look if viewed in grainy footage from these camera angles. At 5.50 gives you some idea - Thompson bowls 4 byes and you can see how quickly it gets to the boundary - it only bounces twice before crashing high up on the fence.
@TheAkifnizam: There's more than a bit of truth in this. I think the introduction of bowling machines in the last 20 years has allowed batsmen to practise for hours against the highest speed bowling, something batsmen couldn't do back in the 70s & 80s. Modern bowlers such as Shoaib, Waqar & Lee probably touched the same speeds as Thompson, but have not the same fear factor, because batsmen are rarely beaten for sheer pace nowadays, more by bounce or movement.
Ask the people who faced them....If you bring up Thommo, they'll say he was fastest, If you bring up Roberts they'll say him and if you bring up Holding they'll say him. You can't really split those three. I get the feeling they were the fastest of all time cos they look faster than Lee or Akhtar. Maybe Shaun Tait looks as fast as them, but that's it. Old timers say Larwood was as quick as any of them....who knows?
@mcnesta80 larwood wasnt even close to these guys watch the footage of him from the 30s he was barely 140 km , Hall and griffiths were the quickest before the 70 s great quicks came along
Lillee having a good bowling action and it very strait ,although it not enough to ball more fast, but thomson use the power of shoulder and wrist and also little bend while throw the bowl with full swing of the hand,, so he can bowl fast more than lille..but both these specialities are dosen't matter while playing cricket who blessed with fortune he will be the real HERO.because both are really tallented .Both they are really BLESSED..
@bartronZ Try but something I find strange. lille was not at his quickest in this series from what I know and yet he seems to be having the same effect as Thommo. So maybe it is the wickets that are the real bowlers ! - lol.
Anyone care to comment who actually saw this live ?
@AIMANALI Good point, I wasn't born til 1976 so I didn't see the series but if it was the pitches that were so leathal why didn't the English bowlers do anywhere near as well?
@AIMANALI In the late 70's(after his peak) Thommo was clocked at 161kph with a speed gun(not during a match) since the introduction of speedguns the fastest recorded is Shaun Tait at I think 160kph. As quick as Thommo & Lillee were I'm sure that some of the West Indian quicks of the 70's & 80's were as fast if not faster then Thommo. Deadliest bowler I've seen is Curtley Ambrose, not as quick but just as hard to play, watched him get 7-15 in a session against Aust in a perth test around 92-93
@bartronZ that 161kmp was during a match against the W.I and I am not sure how different the speed guns were - lots of inconsistencies (as I always say). Plus thommo said he was at his quickest during those seasons (unlike what is commonly believed). Anyway enough of this ...for me atleast ...since these questions will never be answered. maybe 50 years from now when Scientist come up with a device that can measure speed even using film recording of past bowlers. I see that as very possible.
@AIMANALI I think you are right, eventually they'll be able to kind of hawkeye Thommo's deliveries from the footage & get accurate speed reading, if the speed gun from the 70's was only 5%(prob moe than acceptable back then) off that's still 8kph
@AIMANALI I didn't see this live, but have an idea.
In this series, Lillee would have been averaging about 86-89 mph and Thomson would have been as quick as any human ever bowled. But it's the carry that makes the difference. Lillee had a classical high-arm action and could get more/similar sort of carry with lesser pace.
Thommo with his slingshot action was a more skiddy kind of a bowler rather than one with true bounce. Slip fielders would tell you that good carry is almost as tough as pace.
@Imrankniazi Yeah I see what you mean. Actually I have thought of it that way myself. Plus a quality line and length/movement ball SEEMS just as quick as a quicker one (think Akram at his best). Also remember not even Akhtar had the same effect in Austrailia as thommo did in Australia. So I am sure thommo was as quick as any. Also tell me have you seen any footage of those one bounce and into the sight screen delivery from thommo - cause I have not. though the one to Underwood was inhuman
@AIMANALI It's perhaps appropriate to mention here that Lillee was bowling with the wind behind him as he was the senior man. Thommo was bowling against the stiff breeze and yet Rod Marsh felt that his deliveries thudded into his gloves with greater force.
Just a bit of perspective. While I think Lillee was genuinely quick in this period, he wasn't a bowler of express pace like Thommo was.
Wow- watch the last ball to Keith Fletcher- that just might be the fastest delivery ever captured on video. I have seen all the fastest bowlers since 1965- and this guy Thomson -for two years- was the fastest of the lot.
@wilgared The test after this one in Perth, was the last appearance of Brian Luckhurst, but the rest of the side [Amiss, Edrich, Denness, Fletcher, Greig, Knott, Lever, Underwood, Willis and Hendrick] played many more times for England, some of them into the 1980's.
Just look how fast the delivery is at 8.08- unbelievable. Marsh took it above his head standing 25 yards back and it was rising !
Beazle00 1 week ago
Faster then Akthar or Tait
akasports1 1 month ago
how good are the commentators... so much better than the rubbish Ch9 put us through these days....
I see today on the tele that Thompsons son has started bowling too! and looks like his dads action too
truespyfan 1 month ago
@truespyfan
Oh mate Richie, Slats, Heals and Tony are all a bit of fun. Cant stand Ian Chappelle and Mark Nicholas
TheGus619 1 month ago
@TheGus619 Healey is almost the most bias one sided commentator I've ever heard! That is left to Chappelli...
Richie's bottom lip is nearly on the ground...time for him to hang up the lip and give it away... but there honestly isn't much to choose from...
truespyfan 1 month ago
It would be great to compare the speeds of the bowling greats from the 70s using today's equipment.
Tehui1974 1 month ago
Saw Thompson at SCG in '83, last big time top pace performance. What we couldn't see was the ball. 5/50. Magic.
kaitimebb 1 month ago
Damn you play this without helmet, you are facing death
indianspartacus 1 month ago
tommo was timed 99.6 MPH in this very series, well just compare this video with one of shoaib in 1999 Perth against R Ponting one over, only 150 KPH balls r much faster then what these two bowl. this TOYOTA sponsered Speed gun was much tighter then all other ones, still shoaib and Lee acheived speeds of 155 KPH here. while in 1st speed contest held in 1979, Tommo acheived 147.9KPH, only 2nd was holding 141.3KPH and 3rd Imran khan139.8KPH
maliks333 2 months ago
@maliks333 There is one big difference here man. In those days the bowlers were timed at the batman's end - once the ball had hit the pitch and travelled 22 yards. These days the bowlers are timed in the first 2 metres from their hand. It is estimated that the ball slows by at least 10% by the time it reaches the batsman. You do the math...
69Ocker 1 month ago
@69Ocker bollocks...you only have to compare the deliveries that bounce to the ones that dont to see that the shorter balls are generally measured as slower than the fuller ones. They are measured over the full distance. The deliveries that were measured by lillee and thompson were done under controlled conditions..not during a match.
rcaddict72 4 weeks ago
well tommo was fastest at that time, but he looked horrifing only bcz there were no helmets then. Shoaib, Tait, Lee, Waqar younis n Donald (respectively) all r much fitter n faster then them. only now there is no fear in batsmen due to perfect safety equiments. physical fitness is key to bowl fast for all these bowlwers. But on consistent basis Shoaib is fastest of all and followed very closely by Bret Lee, all rest were less in pace.
maliks333 2 months ago
@maliks333
I agree totally mate. This is fast bowling but not super express.
harpsharp01 1 month ago
@harpsharp01 Are you joking? Look at 2:07. The keeper is terrorised let alone the batsman. These are agro bowlers, desperate to regain the Ashes and mate, that ball must have been around 165kph.
MrMarkocroatia 1 week ago
Silly comment below re Marshall and Akram being quicker than Thomson. I saw all three bowl live on many occasions and Thomson was faster than both by some distance. No question however, that they were both better bowlers than Thomson.
Beazle00 2 months ago
The two deliveries by Thomson at 2.05 and 8.06 are the fastest deliveries I have ever seen on video.
Beazle00 2 months ago 2
Lillee and Thompson will always be lesser bowlers because they were basically wicket-to-wicket slingers requiring considerable assistance from the conditions. Moreover, as you can see, they were hardly swinging or seaming anything, and look way less threatening watching from behind the bowler. Lillee developed some tricks later on but Thompson remained a local threat only. Marshall and Akram were quicker at their peaks, watching from any angle.
haqadnanul 2 months ago
I saw Lillee and Thommo at Gabba in 1975 against Windies. Sitting side on from the old dog track. seen a few cricket matches there but have never seen anyone as fast as Thommo. Was difficult to sight the ball and my eyes were keen then. Have seen brett Lee from almost same spot albeit in a stadium seat. Maybe a trick of the passing years but he didnt seem in same zone as Thommo that day. And my eyes arent as sharp these days!
66Ricas 2 months ago
seems like more people believed in movember back in 70s
ali566 2 months ago
Haha only these two struck so much fear into a batsmen... Even scarier then today cause of all the safety equipment used. All of todays gloves, boxes, pads are all better and nowadays theirs so much more you can wear as a batsmen Eg: thigh guard. And these two were even FASTER then 100 mph (Thommo in particular). Scary stuff.
BlackestBreed666 2 months ago
these are just examples of horrible batting rather than vicous bowling. Play any clip of Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Malanga or Brett Lee bowling and you will see the difference.
TheAkifnizam 2 months ago
If you compare eras, the main thing you will notice is the quality of the footage. Not sure how quick Lee, etc would look if viewed in grainy footage from these camera angles. At 5.50 gives you some idea - Thompson bowls 4 byes and you can see how quickly it gets to the boundary - it only bounces twice before crashing high up on the fence.
piripi40 2 months ago
@TheAkifnizam: There's more than a bit of truth in this. I think the introduction of bowling machines in the last 20 years has allowed batsmen to practise for hours against the highest speed bowling, something batsmen couldn't do back in the 70s & 80s. Modern bowlers such as Shoaib, Waqar & Lee probably touched the same speeds as Thompson, but have not the same fear factor, because batsmen are rarely beaten for sheer pace nowadays, more by bounce or movement.
goweresque 2 months ago
"I enjoy hitting a batsman more than getting him out. I like to see blood on the pitch" - Jeff Thompson
sphinx318 3 months ago
Thompson = frightening
timhorpo 3 months ago
The start of modern cricket - fast exciting and in Australia at least the first time in colour - marvellous memories
hastina1066 3 months ago
1:52 Dude not wearing a helmet. Lot of respect for the guy.
stratocaster1986able 3 months ago
@stratocaster1986able no one wore helmets back then you moron
theuglyhairmonster2 2 months ago
Ask the people who faced them....If you bring up Thommo, they'll say he was fastest, If you bring up Roberts they'll say him and if you bring up Holding they'll say him. You can't really split those three. I get the feeling they were the fastest of all time cos they look faster than Lee or Akhtar. Maybe Shaun Tait looks as fast as them, but that's it. Old timers say Larwood was as quick as any of them....who knows?
mcnesta80 4 months ago
@mcnesta80 larwood wasnt even close to these guys watch the footage of him from the 30s he was barely 140 km , Hall and griffiths were the quickest before the 70 s great quicks came along
melglen1 2 months ago
@melglen1 and then we lost them again :(
theuglyhairmonster2 2 months ago
bullshit he bowled 160s - coming from an aussie cricketer
digby8787 4 months ago
@digby8787 Best bowling attack in the world so i'd stfu.
smashaG 3 months ago
Frightening bowling much more exciting than the medium paced nurdlers you see these days. This was the turning point in test cricket exciting times.
bolivianex 5 months ago
@bolivianex
Take note: light offered to batsmen, no referrals, no helmets, respect shown for umpire: great cricket.
HengistTheGreat 5 months ago
Read all about this in "Cricket at the Crossroads", based partly on interviews with former players and endorsed by Tony Greig
NoFearFinance 6 months ago
Lillee having a good bowling action and it very strait ,although it not enough to ball more fast, but thomson use the power of shoulder and wrist and also little bend while throw the bowl with full swing of the hand,, so he can bowl fast more than lille..but both these specialities are dosen't matter while playing cricket who blessed with fortune he will be the real HERO.because both are really tallented .Both they are really BLESSED..
prasanthkumarpc1 6 months ago
notice how none of the poms argue with the umpire.very keen to get back to the dressing rooms.i would as well.
nphanlon1973 6 months ago
@nphanlon1973 and you moaned about bodyline... 8o)
meekonlemon 5 months ago
the guys who commentated throughout this series are so lucky.
TopGearDog431 6 months ago
2:06....climber
Khaksaar123 7 months ago
Dennis Lilee sure could bowl quick!!!!
manomogul 7 months ago
Look at the speed of the delivery at 8.06 - WOW !!!!!!!
Beazle00 7 months ago
Lillee's bowling so fast that no even the fielders can keep up, yet alone the batsman
bartronZ 8 months ago
@bartronZ Try but something I find strange. lille was not at his quickest in this series from what I know and yet he seems to be having the same effect as Thommo. So maybe it is the wickets that are the real bowlers ! - lol.
Anyone care to comment who actually saw this live ?
AIMANALI 8 months ago
@AIMANALI Good point, I wasn't born til 1976 so I didn't see the series but if it was the pitches that were so leathal why didn't the English bowlers do anywhere near as well?
bartronZ 8 months ago
@bartronZ True I know. I think thommo was quick as any - just not sure if he was quicker than any- that is all.
AIMANALI 8 months ago
@AIMANALI In the late 70's(after his peak) Thommo was clocked at 161kph with a speed gun(not during a match) since the introduction of speedguns the fastest recorded is Shaun Tait at I think 160kph. As quick as Thommo & Lillee were I'm sure that some of the West Indian quicks of the 70's & 80's were as fast if not faster then Thommo. Deadliest bowler I've seen is Curtley Ambrose, not as quick but just as hard to play, watched him get 7-15 in a session against Aust in a perth test around 92-93
bartronZ 8 months ago
@bartronZ that 161kmp was during a match against the W.I and I am not sure how different the speed guns were - lots of inconsistencies (as I always say). Plus thommo said he was at his quickest during those seasons (unlike what is commonly believed). Anyway enough of this ...for me atleast ...since these questions will never be answered. maybe 50 years from now when Scientist come up with a device that can measure speed even using film recording of past bowlers. I see that as very possible.
AIMANALI 8 months ago
@AIMANALI I think you are right, eventually they'll be able to kind of hawkeye Thommo's deliveries from the footage & get accurate speed reading, if the speed gun from the 70's was only 5%(prob moe than acceptable back then) off that's still 8kph
bartronZ 8 months ago
Comment removed
Imrankniazi 8 months ago
@AIMANALI I didn't see this live, but have an idea.
In this series, Lillee would have been averaging about 86-89 mph and Thomson would have been as quick as any human ever bowled. But it's the carry that makes the difference. Lillee had a classical high-arm action and could get more/similar sort of carry with lesser pace.
Thommo with his slingshot action was a more skiddy kind of a bowler rather than one with true bounce. Slip fielders would tell you that good carry is almost as tough as pace.
Imrankniazi 8 months ago
@Imrankniazi Yeah I see what you mean. Actually I have thought of it that way myself. Plus a quality line and length/movement ball SEEMS just as quick as a quicker one (think Akram at his best). Also remember not even Akhtar had the same effect in Austrailia as thommo did in Australia. So I am sure thommo was as quick as any. Also tell me have you seen any footage of those one bounce and into the sight screen delivery from thommo - cause I have not. though the one to Underwood was inhuman
AIMANALI 8 months ago
@Imrankniazi Actually thommo got rediculous bounce from when he was in his teens right through his entire career because of his action.
TopGearDog431 6 months ago
@AIMANALI It's perhaps appropriate to mention here that Lillee was bowling with the wind behind him as he was the senior man. Thommo was bowling against the stiff breeze and yet Rod Marsh felt that his deliveries thudded into his gloves with greater force.
Just a bit of perspective. While I think Lillee was genuinely quick in this period, he wasn't a bowler of express pace like Thommo was.
Imrankniazi 5 months ago
Wow..nice..thanx
avinashfar 8 months ago
Wow- watch the last ball to Keith Fletcher- that just might be the fastest delivery ever captured on video. I have seen all the fastest bowlers since 1965- and this guy Thomson -for two years- was the fastest of the lot.
Beazle00 9 months ago
@Beazle00, what about the one to Amiss at 3:26?
Davotheledge 9 months ago
Was a great time to be growing up, watching these two blokes was amazing. thanks for sharing.
hirdy6 10 months ago
What a great video. I just crapped my pants! Thanx : )
spaofgayindylove 10 months ago
Notice cameras at only one end then, how good is the coverage now? Most of those guys never played for England again.
wilgared 11 months ago
@wilgared The test after this one in Perth, was the last appearance of Brian Luckhurst, but the rest of the side [Amiss, Edrich, Denness, Fletcher, Greig, Knott, Lever, Underwood, Willis and Hendrick] played many more times for England, some of them into the 1980's.
gwalkron 8 months ago
all these batsmen just look down and out lol
theuglyhairmonster2 11 months ago
brilliant. no P in thomson by the way
brynjones11 1 year ago
i like how the batsman walks. he doesnt want to stick around to face that barrage
SaintGeorgeDragon 1 year ago
@SaintGeorgeDragon and he didnt even hit it .
TheMichaelseymour 9 months ago
What a great keeper Marsh was, the best!!!
border205 1 year ago
thx a million. Please anymore. I would like to see complete overs . but thx
AIMANALI 1 year ago