Michael Holding batters Brian Close, Old Trafford 1976

"Close opened with the 39-year-old John Edrich. Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Wayne Daniel, a trio of fast bowlers, pounded them for two and a half hours. It was one of the most brutal displays of fast bowling ever seen. Wisden said, "Close and Edrich defended their wickets and themselves against fast bowling, which was frequently too wild and hostile to be acceptable". Close himself said, "It must have been the worst wicket I experienced in Test cricket. The faster the West Indians bowled the worse it got because the balls broke through the surface of the wicket. They exploded and flew at you." With this innings of 20 runs off 108 balls in 162 minutes Close completed his Test career, under a vicious barrage, standing tall and taking the damage as he had against the West Indies at Lord's 13 years earlier. After that, both Close and Edrich were dropped for the fourth Test. The interval between Close's first and last Test matches was 27 years, the second-longest after Wilfred Rhodes."

wikipedia.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Brian
• Close
• Michael
• Holding
• 1976
• Old
• Trafford

[makpak]

smoothest run up i have ever seen

[gorgon0]

I remember this, school days. We all tried to imitate Holding's style at school and down the park. Whispering death indeed. But hats off to B Close. They honestly don't make them like that anymore. I miss going up against English fellas like that. Toe to toe or with ball!

Didn't David Steele introduce the protective helmet, with a face guard, around this time - 75 to 76'ish?

Was hoping to see Wayne Daniel bowl though, he was a monster.

[Tommyboy15081979]

Harold Larwood- not a Yorkshireman

[madmax8903]

@AIMANALI I don't know whether or not he had a judgement on that. Most older Yorkshiremen, like many others, say the quickest ever was their own Harold Larwood. With quicks you usu. can't see the ball from square, but at least you can wicket-to-wicket, the batsman's view. There was a period during the Bodyline Tests during a Larwood spell when Australian batsman complained with terror that they couldn't see the ball. I've seen film of some of this, and you really can't.

[AIMANALI]

@madmax8903 who did he say was the quickest ? thx

[madmax8903]

I remember 45-year old Close being recalled during this series. Always well known for his Yorkshire grit and hardness, he got an even worse battering in1963 against another Windies great, Wes Hall - who was so fast he once smashed a bail with a delivery.

[Imrankniazi]

@AIMANALI Sent you a message. Please check. The problem with comments is you cannot share URLs.

[AIMANALI]

@Imrankniazi Tell me when did Andy flower say that - what year. ?

[ihamoitc2005]

Is it possible to bowl faster? That astonishingly quick. Utterly viscious.

[sikhman100]

@Imrankniazi Yes Allan Donald was probably faster than both the W's.But i still think Waqar in 1989-91 was quicker than Shoaib. Anyway let me give u an example the recent 1 days in england. Shoaib bowled an over of 91,93,91,92, 93 but Davis blocked them all or hit them for singles. Abdur razzaq bowls an over at 80-83 but he manages to make Davis play and miss at 3 of them ! Cos he used the seam, cut it used his brain and it looked more far impressive! beating a batsmen like that....