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Freezin: Did Thommo run into turner or the other way around? Thommo could be dizzy at times.

It is a crying shame we only saw the lethal Thommo in partnership with the incomparable D.K Lillee for only a couple of seasons before his shoulder injury.
Also Lenny Pascoe as well who could be lethal on his day an attack of Lillee, Thomson & Pascoe at the WACA would have been salivating.

There is always those who say you old timers always think everything was as quick and as good as it is today but in Thommo's case this is correct.
I was lucky enough to play a bit of high level cricket and I have seen all of them over the last 40 odd years and I have not seen anyone even remotely as quick as Thommo. When he was coach of QLD he would still bowl in the nets and be yards quicker than Mcdermott and Rackerman and he was well past it.
I have no doubt he could get the ball on occasions up to 170km/h
Just imagine bowling a ball and it hitting the site screen after 1 bounce, now think about any other bowler in history that you think has come close to doing that. He did it at the WACA and the SCG.
He was a freak in regards to his speed and well before his time.
The 5 quickest I have seen in order are Thommo, Holding, Donald, Sylvester Clark, and another West Indian by the name of Ezra Mosely.

Unpredictability was Thommo's greatest weapon...speed was his greatest asset....the two combined was scary.....Marshall had control and speed, both fantastic bowlers in their hey day....Turner was the worst test selection Australia ever made, he killed Thommo's career.

ArkRoyal wrote: Freezin: Did Thommo run into turner or the other way around? Thommo could be dizzy at times.

From memory AR, the Paki batter skied it out to mid wicket/mid on region...think a few had been dropped by the fielders, so Thommo charged out to claim the catch himself of his own bowling...probably Turners catch as he was running in towards the ball, Thommo went sideways to claim his catch....and they collided....probably Thommo's fault, being the fire brand he was Thommo was fed up with fielders costing him wickets...

Freezin wrote:

ArkRoyal wrote: Freezin: Did Thommo run into turner or the other way around? Thommo could be dizzy at times.

From memory AR, the Paki batter skied it out to mid wicket/mid on region...think a few had been dropped by the fielders, so Thommo charged out to claim the catch himself of his own bowling...probably Turners catch as he was running in towards the ball, Thommo went sideways to claim his catch....and they collided....probably Thommo's fault, being the fire brand he was Thommo was fed up with fielders costing him wickets...

Pretty much exactly what happened Freeze crying shame it ended as it did Thommo out of cricket for over 12 months and never the same ferocity as before the shoulder injury although could still hurl them down. Crash Craddock's superb Cricket Legends on Fox Sports is worth a look especially the Thommo episode he is one helluva character that is for sure!

There was a fella from the WI is the early 60s who could bowl rather quickish - and from a 20+ step run-up.

Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith were a fearful combination at their best (and quickest).

The collision.

mikeh wrote: I saw Thommo in that 74 - 75 series at the WACA , terrorising the English batsmen including poor old Colin Cowdrey who had been lured out of retirement because of all the Englishmen maimed by Thommo and Lillee. I also saw him bowl the next year against the West Indies in a test that Australia lost, mainly due to a certain Andy Roberts who was bowling pretty fast as well ( not forgetting Michael Holding too) and a magnificent counter attacking innings from Roy Fredricks (169?). Believe you me he was fast, very fast. He also hated batsman so no matter what the modern player would have tried, Thommo would have still had his share of success these days. The only fast bowler who was scarier than Thommo in my opinion was the late Malcolm Marshall.

Mike they say that Roy Frederick's 169 was something else.

slight correction from me: Ezra Moseley did play a couple of tests after going to Africa. He was the only one the WI ever brought back from the ban so they ratted him. The WI XI did well, inspite of the influence of Pollock, they managed to draw the series 1-1.

It is funny watching KJ Hughes, talking about Pollock with Craddock -- he was almost speechless thirty years later. He averagged 65.00 against Moseley, Clarke, Stephanson, King, Alderman, Rackemann, Hogg, among others; only Sir JB Hobbs has figures such as that over the age of 40.

Does anyone remember the 80 he made in that exhibition game here? I loved it. Something else of his ruthlessness with a crikcet bat in his hand was revealled in a story I once read where they were discussing the way Pollock farmmed the bowlling. His response to the questioner: ' because I get tired of standding at the non-striker's end, watching balls which could be hit for four go through to the keeper.