Kings of Speed (2003) - Cricket Documentary - video Dailymotion

Cricket Reels

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Transcript

00:04:35And that's just a wonderful spectacle.

00:04:37Just can't get better than that.

00:04:38He is wonderfully exciting to watch these guys come hurtling in and let it go and you know

00:04:44look at the speed gun and see what sort of times they're clocking and look it's a terrific

00:04:50part of the game and I'm glad that we've got fit strong people who can do that and input

00:04:55People go and watch that.

00:04:57Shane Warne has left a wonderful legacy with his leg spin bowling,

00:05:00and we see that with the kids who all want to bowl like Shane Warne.

00:05:03But now there's a good crop who want to be speedsters

00:05:05like Brett Lee and Shah Vakta, and I reckon that's terrific for the game.

00:05:09From my perspective, being probably brought up in Perth

00:05:13with fast wickets and the WACA in its heyday in the 70s,

00:05:16I think there was nothing better than going to the cricket

00:05:18and occasionally going side on.

00:05:20When you'd see Lily and Thompson and the ball just fly through to Marsh

00:05:24and the slips cordons, I think it was just great for cricket.

00:05:27It was just magnificent to see just how quick they could bowl.

00:05:32There's always a real hush around the grounds

00:05:34when someone is bowling fast, whether it was Ambrose

00:05:37or playing against Akram or something like that.

00:05:40It was always a real hush around the ground,

00:05:42and you get that similar sort of feel when Brett bowls now

00:05:45and everyone's on the edge of their seats

00:05:46knowing that something possibly could happen, any ball,

00:05:48so it's a good feeling,

00:05:50particularly when you're standing in slips to one of them.

00:05:54Got him, yes, beautifully taken, it's left that time.

00:05:58Whitley has struck.

00:06:00Most fast bowlers that I've known, the very good ones,

00:06:04they've got a bit of white line fever in them, I think,

00:06:06and they cross that white line and, you know,

00:06:09they're there and there.

00:06:10They're not out to deliberately hurt anybody,

00:06:12but they do know they can intimidate

00:06:15and they use that as a psychological weapon.

00:06:17It's just knowing you've got that power, you know, to dominate.

00:06:20It's a funny thing, you would never know it unless you were there,

00:06:24you know, unless you're a quick bowler in the opposition.

00:06:26I mean, they honestly had fear in their eyes.

00:06:28I don't care who they were, how good they thought they were,

00:06:32whatever, even when you play international.

00:06:35Mate, it's not a good feeling to know that you look around

00:06:38and the blokes are standing over there on the hill sort of thing,

00:06:40the slip side, you know, they're miles back

00:06:42and you think, yeah, on the hill's the ball going to carry there?

00:06:45If it's carrying that far,

00:06:46they won't want to hit me on the way through.

00:06:49If I miss it, I make sure it misses me because it's going to hurt.

00:06:52So it's, and there's nobody in front of the stumps, you know,

00:06:55so you're thinking, God, what's going on here?

00:06:58And the bowler's sitting there with an angry look on his face

00:07:01saying, just get in there and do your best.

00:07:04The fearsome speed of the fastest men in cricket has made them legends.

00:07:11Long has the debate raged over who was the quickest of all time.

00:07:15Names like Spoffoff, Larwood, Lindwall, Tyson, Thompson,

00:07:24Lilly, Roberts and Holding are often mentioned.

00:07:30We'll never know the answer,

00:07:32but we do know they all had raw pace

00:07:34and they all had the batsmen ducking and jumping

00:07:37whenever they had to face one of them.

00:07:40I honestly think that people like seeing a batsman struggling

00:07:44and struggling to lay bat on ball, getting hit a little bit.

00:07:49You know, not dangerous, like getting hit in the ribs

00:07:52or, you know, getting hit on the shoulder.

00:07:53I honestly think that people do enjoy seeing that

00:07:56and seeing that intimidation factor.

00:07:58It is ferocious.

00:07:59I mean, I just admire these guys so much.

00:08:02I mean, but I admire a previous generation even a little bit more

00:08:06because they didn't have the benefit of helmets.

00:08:09Frank Tyson once wrote that the ball leaves their hands

00:08:11and covers the regulation 22 yards with such velocity

00:08:14that it defies normal human reflexes.

00:08:17The fact is, a 160km an hour delivery reaches the batsman in 0.438 of a second.

00:08:27According to research, it takes a batsman about 0.3 of a second to see the ball,

00:08:32predict its course and decide on a stroke.

00:08:35It takes a further 0.3 of a second to perform the swing.

00:08:39It means the batsman needs to start reacting before the ball is delivered.

00:08:44If you relate to 160km an hour as a release,

00:08:48it's not that a great distance between you and the batsman.

00:08:51The one thing that is evident is the fact that the batsman

00:08:53doesn't typically have enough time to react to a ball,

00:08:57so they have to read cues off the bowler as they're in the delivery action.

00:09:02Now, the key to that, of course, is that the better bowlers,

00:09:04those that really are express,

00:09:06they sometimes can put the ball straight through the batsman

00:09:09before they've had time to react at all.

00:09:12Just to give you an idea of the difference in pace,

00:09:16Lee is the fastest and he's the red delivery.

00:09:20Gillespie just behind him in blue, if you like,

00:09:23and then McGrath at the back.

00:09:28So you can see the difference there,

00:09:30how much quicker Lee gets to the batsman than McGrath.

00:09:34Well, well bowled, well bowled.

00:09:39That went past his nose at 143km an hour.

00:09:44So, looking at that graphic we had there,

00:09:48in sort of layman's terms,

00:09:50sitting back in front of your viewing machine,

00:09:55Lee is a metre quicker than Gillespie,

00:09:58means he gets older, the batsman that much quicker,

00:10:01and two metres quicker than McGrath.

00:10:03That is a considerable amount.

00:10:06Might not sound much,

00:10:08when you've got the old-scale 22-yard pitch,

00:10:12but Lee is pacey.

00:10:14Well, it's always surprised me that you do have enough time.

00:10:24Somehow, your body reacts,

00:10:25and I mean, occasionally you'll get it wrong,

00:10:27and he has hit me in the head,

00:10:28and he has hit me, you know,

00:10:29there's been the body blows,

00:10:31and there's been certainly body blows in the nets

00:10:34against the guys like Brett Lee,

00:10:35and occasionally the body just fails you,

00:10:37and often that's when you're thinking about too many other things,

00:10:41or you are concentrating on,

00:10:43wow, he's bowling quick today,

00:10:44how am I going to get him behind this one?

00:10:46And you might just intimidate slightly more.

00:10:48But generally, you do react,

00:10:50and as I say, you surprise yourself.

00:10:52And I think overall,

00:10:54I've been known as a big foot mover when I bat.

00:10:56Your movements are a lot smaller,

00:10:58you don't have time to make the bigger ones.

00:10:59It's just years and years of repetition,

00:11:02and I mean, that's why you spend a lot of time

00:11:04building up your technique as a youngster,

00:11:07and then you spend years and years in the nets,

00:11:11and it just comes from years of practice.

00:11:14Batsmen have got to do a huge amount of pre-movement

00:11:16before they face up to a guy like this.

00:11:19You know, they've got to be really in position

00:11:21before virtually the ball is bowled,

00:11:23because the reaction time and movement time

00:11:25don't allow them to any luxury of thinking,

00:11:27well, is this full,

00:11:29well, is this short?

00:11:30I'll go forward or I'll go back.

00:11:32So they've really got to pre-determine a little bit

00:11:34before the ball is delivered.

00:11:35I think pre-planning's the key, yeah,

00:11:37and we don't know too much about this,

00:11:39but it seems to be a pre-planned structure

00:11:41that we typically know where the bowler typically bowls.

00:11:46You equally then know how you will stroke the ball

00:11:49to different parts of the ground.

00:11:50I wouldn't suggest that they decide to hook

00:11:52before the ball's released,

00:11:53but I think there's a lot of pre-planning

00:11:56goes into quality batting against high-speed bowling.

00:11:59That's a good bouncer.

00:12:03Nothing wrong with the location on that occasion.

00:12:06In accumulating more than 5,000 test runs,

00:12:09dynamic opening batsman Michael Slater

00:12:11has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents

00:12:14of batting to pace bowling.

00:12:16Facing a hostile Shoaib Akhtar in Brisbane,

00:12:19he once smashed 169 runs,

00:12:22but not before overcoming a barrage of bouncers.

00:12:25It was just a contest the whole time Shoaib was on.

00:12:28He was, you know, I'm sure at times trying to kill me

00:12:30and then trying to get me out.

00:12:32And there was a pull shot that I played

00:12:33when I would have been about 60.

00:12:35I'd been evading most of his shorter deliveries

00:12:38because they tend to be a yard or two quicker

00:12:39because they're a genuine effort ball.

00:12:42And there was this one time,

00:12:43and I was still saying to myself,

00:12:45get out of the way of it.

00:12:46It's a risky shot to try and pull.

00:12:48You could end up in hospital or back in the pavilion.

00:12:54Great shot.

00:12:56How well is Michael Slater seeing the ball?

00:12:59I just stood up instinctively and pulled it to the fence

00:13:02and it was like, how did I do that?

00:13:04Where did that come from?

00:13:05And it's those moments that you just get such a buzz

00:13:08because you surprise yourself.

00:13:11I mean, there's no training.

00:13:12You don't get in front of a bowling machine

00:13:14at 100 miles an hour and try and stand up and pull them.

00:13:16You'd be a nutcase.

00:13:17So it's a lot of fun when something like that comes off.

00:13:29To give some idea of what a batsman goes through

00:13:31when facing express pace,

00:13:33Michael agreed to face Brett Lee in the nets

00:13:35whilst wearing a heart rate monitor and helmet camera.

00:13:39The pace of the deliveries would be measured

00:13:41by twin microwave speed guns.

00:13:43Michael, going into the nets to face someone like Brett Lee,

00:13:49is it just another day at the bat increase, another bit of practice?

00:13:53Try and look at it that way, but it's certainly not.

00:13:55When you've got a guy like Brett who is such a disciplined trainer himself,

00:14:02every delivery he bowls, he's trying to get something out of it,

00:14:05which is the reason he's playing for Australia.

00:14:08And just because he's Brett Lee,

00:14:10he's another 20 kilometres quicker than most guys.

00:14:13So it's a major test.

00:14:16And just like facing a guy like him in the middle,

00:14:19whether it's a show of actor,

00:14:21I haven't played a test match against Brett, obviously,

00:14:23but it just brings the best out in yourself

00:14:26or it certainly gets the adrenaline pumping,

00:14:27which makes your feet move just that little quicker.

00:14:29First time I've faced Brett in the nets this summer,

00:14:32so there's no doubt the heart's going to be racing.

00:14:35And because we're in indoors,

00:14:37where the ball tends to bounce a little bit more,

00:14:39it comes off quicker,

00:14:40I think he's got the easier job at this stage.

00:14:59I get asked, do you get scared?

00:15:09Well, the answer is no.

00:15:10You're on the verge of being scared, I suppose, the whole time.

00:15:13But you're never scared.

00:15:15Your movements are twitchy.

00:15:17And if they're precise, you'll score well

00:15:20because the ball's coming quicker.

00:15:22It goes quicker.

00:15:24The reason I open the batting is that I'm a little sillier than most

00:15:27and the reason I am a little sillier is I enjoy that contest.

00:15:31You know, it's such a challenge.

00:15:33It's not often you come up against a guy

00:15:35who can bowl 95 miles an hour consistently

00:15:38or 150-odd kilometres an hour.

00:15:41And I just really get a buzz out of it.

00:15:43There's no doubt the heart's racing.

00:15:45I mentioned this word adrenaline.

00:15:47That's just flowing more than it would for a slower bowler.

00:15:50But it brings the best out in yourself

00:15:52and it's surprising how you'll react,

00:15:54whether it's evading a bouncer

00:15:56or, you know, all of a sudden a pull shot will come out of the woodwork.

00:15:59When you're saying to yourself, don't pull, don't hook,

00:16:01you'll just play one instinctively and surprise yourself.

00:16:04And that's what that challenge brings out.

00:16:07Being the off-season,

00:16:09Brett Lee warned us that he would not be able to bowl flat out.

00:16:12His pace was also affected by a shortened run-up.

00:16:15However, the contest is irresistible

00:16:17and a young speedster constantly inquires

00:16:20about the speed of each delivery.

00:16:21Before long, he's sending them down

00:16:24at a shade under 145 kilometres an hour.

00:16:28No doubt spurred on by the presence of the speed gun,

00:16:31but the key to express pace is more than just motivation.

00:16:36They compare fast bowling to a golf swing too.

00:16:39They say, like, a guy like Tiger Woods,

00:16:41who's not a real big bloke,

00:16:43but he hits the ball as far as anybody,

00:16:45probably the furthest in the world driving-wise.

00:16:47It all comes down to his action,

00:16:49his momentum going through the ball,

00:16:51and the way that he times the ball.

00:16:54Fast bowlers have to be pretty coordinated, I think,

00:16:56so it all comes down to timing

00:16:57and how balanced a person is when they approach a crease.

00:17:00It's all to do with the rhythm of their run-up,

00:17:03the height of their jump.

00:17:05Obviously, the power is the key thing,

00:17:08and the wrist snap at the end.

00:17:10They're all compiled to make it

00:17:12a very important sort of sequential action.

00:17:15The more quickly you can rotate the arm,

00:17:17obviously, the quicker you can bowl.

00:17:19Now, obviously, you then need to put that together

00:17:22with a nice, efficient but quick run-up,

00:17:25good balance during the delivery stride,

00:17:28but then if you can do those things

00:17:30and, in actual fact, retain accuracy,

00:17:32then the quicker you can rotate your arm,

00:17:34assuming your arm is of reasonable length,

00:17:36then the more speed you'll produce.

00:17:38I think it's all in their genetics.

00:17:40I think that you're born with a certain amount of muscle fibre,

00:17:44whether it's red or white,

00:17:45and the power athletes tend to have a little bit more red fibre,

00:17:49and I think it's not much you can do.

00:17:52You can develop what you've got,

00:17:54but you can't change the ratio,

00:17:55and I suspect that the people like Brett Lee and Shabak,

00:17:59Dennis Lilly, Jeff Thompson,

00:18:01had a high percentage of power sort of fibre in their muscles,

00:18:04and that makes a difference.

00:18:06I think Brett is a quicker rotator of the arm.

00:18:09I mean, he tends to come in and bowl with a fairly,

00:18:13if I, structured action, and rotates the arm very quickly.

00:18:16Shabak has some peculiarities,

00:18:18has been well written in the newspapers,

00:18:22with reference to his elbow.

00:18:24He, in actual fact, can hyperextend at the elbow

00:18:26far more than most bowlers can,

00:18:28so he actually then can get almost another lever into his system,

00:18:32and he does this, people say, illegally,

00:18:34but the comment is that he, in actual fact,

00:18:37naturally can hyperextend his elbow,

00:18:39and that's the reason he's allowed to continue playing.

00:18:42It's a natural part of his arm.

00:18:43It's not something that he does. That is illegal.

00:18:45I'm not blessed with the normal joints,

00:18:47so I can't help my joints, the way that it moves.

00:18:51It's natural.

00:18:51I'm born with that hyperextension and hypermobility.

00:18:55I can't help it.

00:18:57So I proved that then again,

00:18:59the Australian came in the field.

00:19:00They helped me out.

00:19:01I'm really, really thankful to the human movement department

00:19:04back in Perth,

00:19:08and they really stood up for me,

00:19:11and thanks to Dennis Lilly,

00:19:12he just stood up, stood by to me.

00:19:15He says, nothing wrong, nothing we can do about it.

00:19:17They've got to let you play cricket

00:19:18because I can't see any chance you to ball with a straighter arm

00:19:22because you've got an abnormal elbow

00:19:24and you've got an abnormal shoulder.

00:19:25The bowler who terrorised Bradman's team in the Bodyline Series of the 30s,

00:19:34Harold Larwood,

00:19:35was officially included in the Guinness Book of Records

00:19:37bowling at 93 miles an hour,

00:19:39about 150 k's.

00:19:41Wesley Hall was said to have been timed at 91 miles an hour in practice.

00:19:46But evidence of speeds from that era is notoriously unreliable.

00:19:51Several pace men were said to bowl at over 90 miles an hour,

00:19:54but no one really knows for sure.

00:19:57Until the regular use of speed guns,

00:19:59every generation of cricketers had their own theories.

00:20:02I'd have to say my time...

00:20:12Michael Holding may well have been just as quick as Geoff Thompson.

00:20:15I mean, there certainly wasn't much in it.

00:20:18But there's no doubt in my mind

00:20:20that Geoff Thompson was the most lethal fast bowler

00:20:22that I ever saw or played against.

00:20:25And in my opinion,

00:20:27he was the only one that I decided was unhookable.

00:20:32Gow attempting to hook.

00:20:34There's a big appeal.

00:20:35And Gow is on his way.

00:20:37Of all the people that I faced,

00:20:38Tomo every now and again produced a ball

00:20:41that was faster than anything else.

00:20:43So Geoff Thompson's my number one.

00:20:45Michael Holding, in my time,

00:20:47was consistently the fastest.

00:20:49I mean, he bowled fast all the time.

00:20:51His speeds were right up there,

00:20:52and they stayed there.

00:20:54So he didn't surprise you as much as Tomo did.

00:20:56And I think of all the research that I've done

00:21:00and the watching of the videos and things that I've seen,

00:21:06it seems to me that the other person

00:21:07that would be in that bracket would be Frank Tyson.

00:21:10But everyone I spoke to that I've spoken to

00:21:12that faced Frank Tyson

00:21:14says that he was just lightning fast.

00:21:17There was no doubt that Frank Typhoon Tyson's speed

00:21:20was raw and unbridled.

00:21:23He played only 17 tests in a career plagued by injury,

00:21:26but still took 76 wickets at an average of just 18.

00:21:31Apart from taking wickets,

00:21:33Tyson had a penchant for quoting Shakespeare

00:21:35or Wordsworth to Batsman.

00:21:37It seemed to me he had two parts to his career.

00:21:39He had the long run,

00:21:41the sort of Frank Typhoon Tyson off his long run,

00:21:43and then he went on to the short run.

00:21:45And apparently it made very little difference.

00:21:47And if anyone's ever had a look at Frank Tyson's shoulders,

00:21:50you'll know where it all comes from.

00:21:52But, I mean, he was obviously super powerful.

00:21:55To this day, he's a very strong man.

00:21:58And it seemed to me, just watching the footage,

00:22:03that he tried to bowl every ball as fast as he possibly could.

00:22:06There was no question of him trying to settle into a line or length

00:22:08or trying to swing it or anything like that.

00:22:10It was just flat out.

00:22:14The first bowler to be genuinely put under the academic microscope

00:22:17was the great West Australian Dennis Lilley.

00:22:20After recuperating from crippling back injuries,

00:22:23Lilley's bowling speed was calculated by the University of WA.

00:22:28In 1975, it was measured at 148.5 kilometres an hour.

00:22:34The following year, in another study,

00:22:36he was apparently recorded at 154.8 kilometres an hour.

00:22:41Dennis was pretty quick.

00:22:42The first time I really heard about Dennis Lilley,

00:22:46we were in on the India-South Africa tour, 69-70.

00:22:51So we didn't play any Sheffield Shield games as they were then.

00:22:55And when I got back,

00:22:56Les Favell, who was captain of South Australia at that stage,

00:22:59said,

00:23:00Oh, there's a young bloke in Perth who annihilated us.

00:23:03I think Dennis got six or seven for not many.

00:23:06It was in the 20s, I think.

00:23:08I mean, Les Favell had seen them all.

00:23:10He'd seen Tyson, he'd seen Wes Hall.

00:23:12Not sure that he saw Charlie Griffiths,

00:23:14but he'd seen a lot of quick bowling,

00:23:16so he knew what quick was.

00:23:17And he said,

00:23:18Dennis Lilley's pretty quick.

00:23:19He didn't ever say that he was up there with Tyson or anything like that.

00:23:22But,

00:23:22so I missed that time.

00:23:26Then I would have faced him a couple of times in the,

00:23:29you know,

00:23:29before he had the back,

00:23:30the back injury.

00:23:32He was pretty quick,

00:23:33no doubt about that,

00:23:35but I don't think he was quite as quick as Tom had.

00:23:39Beautiful delivery from Lilley.

00:23:41That was virtually unplayable.

00:23:43For me,

00:23:43Lilley was up there with Andy Roberts as the two most difficult to handle on an ongoing basis.

00:23:49They were two great fast bowlers,

00:23:51but both of them fell into what I would describe as the third run in terms of pace.

00:23:57Lilley,

00:23:58who,

00:23:59if you watched him,

00:24:00he developed all sorts of things in his bowling.

00:24:02He bowled leg cutters.

00:24:04He tried to swing the ball,

00:24:05although he wasn't a big swinger,

00:24:07but he tried to swing it.

00:24:08So he was trying to do things,

00:24:10more of a thinking bowler,

00:24:11and didn't just rely on pace.

00:24:13And it just seemed to me that he wasn't that bothered.

00:24:16If Tomo down the other end was bowling deliveries faster than he was.

00:24:19But he was faster,

00:24:21right?

00:24:21And he was also quite,

00:24:23how would you say,

00:24:24furious.

00:24:25I mean,

00:24:25I think that he looked nasty.

00:24:28Dennis Lilley,

00:24:29standing there watching Lilley run in,

00:24:31with all those gold chains around his neck,

00:24:34and that huge,

00:24:35great droopy moustache,

00:24:37and the aggressive nature that he had.

00:24:40I mean,

00:24:40he'd finish his run up right here,

00:24:42right in front of you,

00:24:43and really look at you,

00:24:44and try and get you to eyeball him.

00:24:46And he was into that sort of aspect of fast bowling.

00:24:50So a great fast bowler,

00:24:51but not quite as fast as some of the others.

00:24:55I don't think I've ever seen a supposedly recognised opening batsman play a shot like that in my life.

00:25:08It looked more like a Woody Allen sketch did that.

00:25:10Other fast bowlers will always be probably as fast.

00:25:14Michael Holding is as quick.

00:25:15Andy Roberts is as quick.

00:25:17But they haven't got it all together.

00:25:19You know,

00:25:19they've got the armory in terms of pace.

00:25:22But from the psychological point of view,

00:25:24and the fearsome,

00:25:25and just frightening batsmen out,

00:25:26this is where Dennis seems to score above all others.

00:25:28He's not frightened the bowl bounces at anyone,

00:25:38which I think is great for a fast bowler.

00:25:40He's as mean as you like.

00:25:42He snarls at batsmen.

00:25:44He doesn't mean it all the time.

00:25:46He looks around at us and smiles,

00:25:48making sure the batsman doesn't see exactly that little smirk that comes on his face.

00:25:52But he gives the batsman the impression that all he wants is blood or wickets.

00:25:58Oops.

00:25:59Yeah,

00:26:00it's quite right there.

00:26:01I think it's...

00:26:03And he's going to get a warning.

00:26:05He's going to do it at all.

00:26:07He's already given you one now.

00:26:08He's got that one in.

00:26:10In the mid-70s,

00:26:12Australia gained a lethal pace partner for Dennis Lilly.

00:26:15With his unorthodox slingshot action,

00:26:18Geoff Thompson generated furious pace

00:26:20that terrorised and intimidated,

00:26:23especially the touring English side of 1974-75.

00:26:27Good delivery there from Geoff Thompson.

00:26:30I can remember when Colin Cowdery made his comeback

00:26:32and was brought out, I think, at about 42 years of age,

00:26:35and I got to know Colin very well in my time at Kent.

00:26:38And he just...

00:26:39He just talks in awe of the bowling of Lilly and Thompson

00:26:43on that particular day,

00:26:44on a very, very quick and bouncy wacker wicket.

00:26:47Thompson said very little.

00:26:49He was almost the opposite.

00:26:50of Dennis.

00:26:51Said very little.

00:26:53But was...

00:26:54Had the surprise.

00:26:55The surprise of pace

00:26:56that every now and again when his action,

00:26:58which was a slightly different action,

00:27:00he used to sort of wind behind his back.

00:27:02You couldn't see the ball.

00:27:03His arm disappeared right behind his back.

00:27:05And he...

00:27:06And then he...

00:27:06It was almost like a catapult.

00:27:07Let the thing go.

00:27:08When it did click,

00:27:10it was unbelievable.

00:27:11And when he really got it right...

00:27:13I mean, he got it right in the second innings

00:27:14against me in Brisbane,

00:27:15in that same test match,

00:27:16where he knocked my leg stump out of the ground

00:27:18with a delivery that was absolutely...

00:27:20I mean, it was that fast

00:27:22and it was dead straight

00:27:23and it just swung in a little bit.

00:27:25I never even got close.

00:27:27I was a bit of a quieter achiever, I think.

00:27:29Dennis used to...

00:27:30You know, he was always more...

00:27:32Um...

00:27:34Outward expression-like,

00:27:37whereas I was a quiet assassin sort of thing.

00:27:40I believe that I just kept it quiet,

00:27:42did the business

00:27:42and didn't let him know what was going on.

00:27:44A bit like a poker face.

00:27:45I mean, that was even more worrying

00:27:48than thinking,

00:27:49gee, is he cranky with me?

00:27:50Is he not?

00:27:50Or whatever.

00:27:51Sometimes I showed a little bit of anger,

00:27:53but normally if you're on a day,

00:27:56you know, bowling really quick,

00:27:57you didn't have to say a word.

00:27:58The one that had the, to me,

00:28:01the unlimited pace

00:28:02who was really the quickest

00:28:04was probably Tomo.

00:28:05But that's in no disgrace

00:28:06to Michael Holding, Andy Roberts,

00:28:09Dennis Lilly, etc.

00:28:10and the others.

00:28:10He just seemed to have

00:28:11that little bit of brute power and strength

00:28:15that the others were more rhythm, etc.

00:28:17But Tomo just seemed to produce

00:28:18that ball out of nowhere

00:28:19that was one bounce over the keeper's head

00:28:22and into the side screen.

00:28:23Second test match of the 74-5 series

00:28:25and Jeff Thompson was bowling downwind,

00:28:28so he's bowling from the outer end.

00:28:31And he bowled the short one

00:28:34and as I described earlier,

00:28:35when Tomo bowls the bouncer,

00:28:37it usually goes fairly high

00:28:38and with the bounce in Perth,

00:28:40it just absolutely took off.

00:28:41It didn't, you know,

00:28:42it wasn't one of those though.

00:28:44It was one of like,

00:28:45like a 7-4-7 taking off.

00:28:47Boom, like that, you see.

00:28:48Rodney leapt in the air

00:28:49but he had absolutely no price getting it.

00:28:53And we all turned around

00:28:54to see where it bounced

00:28:55and it went kaboom, like that.

00:28:57Half volleyed the bloody fence

00:28:59and sight board at the Wacker.

00:29:01Now that was alright for us,

00:29:02you know, we loved that.

00:29:04But the mistake that the English batsman

00:29:05who was facing,

00:29:07he also turned and watched it go

00:29:09and when he saw where it landed,

00:29:12you could just see the colour

00:29:13drain out of his face.

00:29:14I mean, and obviously his thought

00:29:16was, crikey, you know,

00:29:18that could have been straight at me.

00:29:20And I just, I always thought

00:29:22that that delivery probably made,

00:29:25had the biggest psychological effect

00:29:27on that 7-4-5 series.

00:29:29That was Tony Gregg.

00:29:31I bowled a shore pool at him.

00:29:32It didn't go over his head

00:29:32but Greggie's tall, you know,

00:29:34so he stood up and it went through here

00:29:35and it went over Mars.

00:29:37He's still climbing

00:29:38and half volleyed

00:29:39the Sydney Cricket Ground sight script.

00:29:41That'll give you an idea.

00:29:42I've done that in Perth.

00:29:43So if next time you're

00:29:45at the Sydney Cricket Ground,

00:29:46anyone that's watching this tape,

00:29:47just envisage a bowler

00:29:49bowling a short ball,

00:29:50going past the batsman's chin,

00:29:53going under the keep

00:29:54and still going and hitting

00:29:55the sight screen.

00:29:56Try and do that.

00:29:57That'll give you an idea

00:29:58of the heat that was on the ball.

00:30:00You enjoyed that

00:30:01even though it was four-byes?

00:30:02Oh, yeah, yeah,

00:30:03because Greggie,

00:30:04yeah, Greggie had plenty of guts

00:30:06but he even sort of went...

00:30:08LAUGHTER

00:30:09That's a good delivery.

00:30:12He's got to be on his way

00:30:13and he is.

00:30:14A tremendous delivery there

00:30:16from Geoff Thompson.

00:30:17Well, I bowled a fair few

00:30:17fast sessions, you know,

00:30:19in different places, you know,

00:30:21that you wouldn't suspect.

00:30:22I mean, they talk about

00:30:23the one in Barbados

00:30:24when I played over there.

00:30:26I was cranky that day

00:30:27because our blokes,

00:30:28it was like the Aussie second side,

00:30:31the World Series that started,

00:30:32so I went over there with Simmo.

00:30:33Simmo's captain,

00:30:34I was vice-captain.

00:30:36And they had their best players

00:30:38playing for them, you know.

00:30:39Their World Series players

00:30:40were good play against us.

00:30:43So they had, you know,

00:30:44Michael, Andy Roberts,

00:30:47Crofty, Joel Garner,

00:30:49all these blokes

00:30:50shooting in at our guys

00:30:52and they were putting them

00:30:52in hospital,

00:30:53they were hitting them,

00:30:54you know,

00:30:54they were breaking fingers

00:30:55and breaking jaws

00:30:56and all that.

00:30:57And I just got cranky

00:30:58this afternoon

00:30:59and I thought,

00:31:00well, I'm going to do

00:31:01a return of favour here.

00:31:02And, you know,

00:31:03you just let them go

00:31:04and I bowled really quick.

00:31:11Hit him.

00:31:14I can remember

00:31:15John Edrich,

00:31:16who was sure

00:31:17getting to the end

00:31:18of his career,

00:31:19had just been through

00:31:20a West Indies series

00:31:22and came down to Australia

00:31:23and got hit in the ribs

00:31:24by Thompson.

00:31:25And he went to

00:31:27four different hospitals

00:31:29trying to establish

00:31:30that he did have

00:31:31a broken rib.

00:31:32and at the end

00:31:32of the day

00:31:33they kept telling him,

00:31:34well, at the end

00:31:34of the day

00:31:35they found one

00:31:36but they kept saying

00:31:37there wasn't one.

00:31:38And he said,

00:31:39look, I've got to tell you,

00:31:40nothing hurts this much

00:31:41and it's not broken.

00:31:43So he found a broken rib.

00:31:44So there was an example

00:31:45of a really tough character,

00:31:47one of the toughest

00:31:47England batsmen

00:31:48of all time,

00:31:49who at the end

00:31:50of his career,

00:31:51you know,

00:31:51was quite happy

00:31:52to have a broken rib

00:31:53and go home.

00:31:58Didn't handle that,

00:31:58took care for me,

00:31:59didn't he?

00:32:00I played for Queensland

00:32:01against Victoria

00:32:03that was at the Gabba

00:32:05and Redpath was opening

00:32:07and batting,

00:32:08but he was playing

00:32:08with us for Australia

00:32:09there,

00:32:09so Redders was opening

00:32:10there batting

00:32:11and they had a fair side.

00:32:13I'm just trying

00:32:14to think what I did.

00:32:15I took seven

00:32:17for not many.

00:32:18I got Pfeiffer

00:32:19in the first stick,

00:32:2160-odd runs not out,

00:32:23so I was having

00:32:23a weekend

00:32:24and then I bowled,

00:32:26come out straight

00:32:26off batting,

00:32:27you know,

00:32:27I was pumped up

00:32:28and bowled like the wind

00:32:30and, oh,

00:32:31mate,

00:32:31it was like a shooting go.

00:32:32They had seven

00:32:33for bugger all,

00:32:33ended up with 12

00:32:34wickets for the match.

00:32:35That was quick.

00:32:39He certainly missed

00:32:40that one.

00:32:41Sorry,

00:32:42says Thompson.

00:32:42Half the time,

00:32:43I don't think Tom

00:32:43I knew where they were

00:32:44going,

00:32:44which was scarier

00:32:45because he had

00:32:46a general area

00:32:47where he was going

00:32:47to bowl

00:32:48but he was

00:32:48that quick

00:32:50and he's actually

00:32:51so unorthodox.

00:32:52He picked it up late

00:32:52because the ball

00:32:54was so far

00:32:54behind his back.

00:32:55You know,

00:32:55most guys running

00:32:56with the ball

00:32:56in front of them.

00:33:00The bounce

00:33:01on him

00:33:01and just pointed it out

00:33:02and that was a good one

00:33:03because it was

00:33:03over the middle

00:33:04and off stump.

00:33:04There was a quick day

00:33:05at Wellington,

00:33:06a quick test match

00:33:07at Wellington.

00:33:08It was rain affected

00:33:09but I remember

00:33:09playing at the basin

00:33:11there.

00:33:11Martin Crowe

00:33:12was his first game

00:33:13where he came in

00:33:13and I don't think

00:33:15he saw any ball.

00:33:16I hit his helmet

00:33:16and it just fell apart

00:33:17all these screws

00:33:18and bolts

00:33:19and God knows

00:33:20what else come out.

00:33:21He had a towel

00:33:22used to it,

00:33:22a scarf,

00:33:22that flew off.

00:33:23It looked like

00:33:24his head fell to bits.

00:33:25It looked like

00:33:25Arnold Schwarzenegger

00:33:27in that movie

00:33:28with all the bits

00:33:29of that going everywhere

00:33:30and he just looked around.

00:33:31I think he was happy.

00:33:33He was still standing alive

00:33:34and next ball

00:33:35was just straight up

00:33:36and clean bowling.

00:33:36That was his introduction

00:33:37to me and Tess Cricket.

00:33:43I don't believe

00:33:45that I've seen

00:33:46more ferocious

00:33:47or quicker bowling

00:33:47than I saw that day

00:33:49with Geoff Thompson

00:33:51at the Wacker

00:33:51and poor old Colin Cowdery,

00:33:54you know,

00:33:5442 years of age,

00:33:55come out,

00:33:56had just been added

00:33:57to the English party,

00:33:58came out of a,

00:33:59he said he was sitting

00:34:00there having his Christmas

00:34:01lunch,

00:34:02pairing with the family

00:34:03and all of a sudden

00:34:04gets a call

00:34:05and, you know,

00:34:06a couple of days later

00:34:08he's out in Perth

00:34:08playing against

00:34:09Geoff Thompson

00:34:10on a very quick

00:34:11wacker wicket.

00:34:12I don't believe

00:34:13I've seen anything quicker

00:34:14that day

00:34:15than Geoff Thompson.

00:34:18We're out of screaming

00:34:20as Thompson comes in

00:34:21from the members end.

00:34:23Is it out?

00:34:24Great catch!

00:34:26Second dig,

00:34:26a bowl like the wind

00:34:27and Michael,

00:34:29remember,

00:34:29was night watchman

00:34:30and the next morning

00:34:31he was there,

00:34:31not out,

00:34:32he'd only faced

00:34:32a couple of balls

00:34:33the previous night.

00:34:34I hit his middle stump

00:34:36and I remember

00:34:37the stump basically

00:34:38went all the way

00:34:38back to marshy.

00:34:40You see stumps

00:34:41go back a little way,

00:34:42this will give you

00:34:42an idea how far it went.

00:34:44It went back

00:34:45to where he's keeping

00:34:46and that's a long,

00:34:47long way.

00:34:48And Michael

00:34:48just looked around,

00:34:49you know,

00:34:50he had that big afro

00:34:51like Richard Pryor

00:34:52in those days

00:34:52and he just looked around

00:34:54and I think he thought,

00:34:56thank heavens that missed me.

00:34:59It's involving

00:35:00very fast at the moment.

00:35:01up in the block,

00:35:03oh,

00:35:03big appeal there

00:35:03for LBW

00:35:04and he's given him out.

00:35:05Justice has been done.

00:35:07Miller,

00:35:08LBW,

00:35:09Bold Thompson

00:35:09and England

00:35:10all out

00:35:11for 237.

00:35:13In 1975,

00:35:15a group of academics

00:35:16from the West Australian

00:35:17University

00:35:18filmed the actions

00:35:19of Lillian Thompson

00:35:20along with West Indians

00:35:21Andy Roberts

00:35:22and Michael Holding

00:35:23during a test match

00:35:24at the WACA ground.

00:35:26using high speed cameras

00:35:28they were able

00:35:29to calculate

00:35:30for the first time

00:35:31just how fast

00:35:32these express pace

00:35:33bowlers were.

00:35:34Well,

00:35:35I think it was part

00:35:35of an ongoing study

00:35:37into fast bowling

00:35:38and we really wanted

00:35:39to know how quick

00:35:40these guys actually bowled

00:35:42and there weren't

00:35:43two better exponents

00:35:44around at the time

00:35:44than Geoff Thompson

00:35:45and Dennis Lillie.

00:35:47So I think we'd been

00:35:48investigating low back injuries

00:35:49and fast bowling

00:35:50and just the initial phase

00:35:51of it

00:35:51and so we wanted

00:35:53to have a look

00:35:54at these guys

00:35:54actually bowling

00:35:55in the middle

00:35:55and the WACA letters

00:35:57get out into the ground

00:35:58to do this filming

00:35:59so that was a first

00:36:01and it was a very

00:36:02exciting time.

00:36:03It was a time

00:36:04when really no research

00:36:05had been done

00:36:06on fast bowling at all

00:36:07and people were interested

00:36:08to see how quickly

00:36:09they actually could bowl

00:36:10so quite simply

00:36:11that was what it was for

00:36:13was to test

00:36:14the speed of bowlers

00:36:15to see what the differences

00:36:16were from different countries

00:36:18and to see if

00:36:19different characteristics

00:36:20were related

00:36:21to different body types.

00:36:23Dennis said

00:36:23we knew the filming

00:36:25was going on

00:36:26and he said look

00:36:27the third ball

00:36:27of the second oval

00:36:29would be the quickest

00:36:29I'd bowl all day

00:36:30and it was by

00:36:32about 10k an hour

00:36:34or miles per hour

00:36:35in those days

00:36:36and the slowest delivery

00:36:38for the whole day.

00:36:39It was interesting

00:36:40we thought the bigger people

00:36:41would naturally be

00:36:42the quickest

00:36:42but the Thompsons

00:36:44of the world

00:36:45that turned out

00:36:46to be very very quick

00:36:47in those days

00:36:47showed that

00:36:49it's the distance

00:36:50that you move

00:36:51the ball through

00:36:51in other words

00:36:52how far you can move

00:36:54the ball

00:36:54so his action enabled him

00:36:55to put all his muscles

00:36:57on stretch

00:36:58it enabled him

00:36:59to move the ball

00:37:00through a large displacement

00:37:01and by doing that

00:37:02he actually could achieve

00:37:04what a much taller bowler

00:37:05could do anyway.

00:37:07Lily who was far

00:37:08from his best

00:37:09on that day

00:37:09recorded a speed

00:37:10of 139 kilometres an hour

00:37:12a young Michael Holding

00:37:14bowled at 148.54

00:37:17Andy Roberts

00:37:19who was also unwell

00:37:20recorded a fastest

00:37:21of 150.67 kilometres an hour

00:37:24whilst Geoff Thompson

00:37:26sent down one delivery

00:37:27officially timed

00:37:29at 160.45

00:37:32this was acknowledged

00:37:34as the fastest delivery

00:37:35ever recorded

00:37:36and was to become

00:37:37the benchmark

00:37:38for the next three decades

00:37:39there's been a great deal

00:37:41of interest

00:37:42since that time

00:37:42but now with Brett Lee

00:37:44and Shaab Akdar

00:37:44obviously you know

00:37:45the speed of bowling

00:37:47has become

00:37:47very much an important part

00:37:49in international cricket

00:37:50again

00:37:51but it's an exciting thing

00:37:53to think that somebody

00:37:53can bowl a ball

00:37:54at 100 miles an hour

00:37:55and I have no doubt

00:37:56that during his career

00:37:57quite often Geoff Thompson

00:37:58did that

00:37:59in 1979

00:38:00using the same

00:38:02high speed film cameras

00:38:03a group of fast bowlers

00:38:05was assembled

00:38:05to contest

00:38:06the world's fastest

00:38:07bowler competition

00:38:08in Perth

00:38:09they included

00:38:10Lily and Thompson

00:38:11Roberts and Holding

00:38:13Imran Khan

00:38:14Colin Croft

00:38:16Garth LaRue

00:38:17and Richard Hadley

00:38:18in near 40 degree heat

00:38:21only two bowlers

00:38:22managed more than

00:38:23140 kilometres an hour

00:38:25130.4

00:38:26that's Dennis Lilley's

00:38:29fastest to date

00:38:30Imran Khan

00:38:31he's been pressing

00:38:32Thompson all day

00:38:33he was quickish too

00:38:37139.1

00:38:41Michael Holding

00:38:44bowled at 141.3

00:38:46it certainly

00:38:48looked pretty quick

00:38:50but it was Geoff Thompson

00:38:51who was consistently

00:38:52faster than anyone else

00:38:54his quickest delivery

00:38:55was timed

00:38:56at 147.9 kilometres an hour

00:39:00giving him an easy victory

00:39:01he won the money

00:39:03for the fastest delivery

00:39:04and also

00:39:05for the most accurate bowler

00:39:07middle stump as well

00:39:08I wasn't even playing

00:39:09it was the year

00:39:09I got banned from cricket

00:39:10and Channel 9

00:39:12the guys from 9

00:39:13said

00:39:14Tommy you've got to go

00:39:14in this

00:39:15you're the fastest bowler

00:39:16you've got to be in this

00:39:17I said hang on

00:39:17I'm not even playing

00:39:18so I went in the bloody thing

00:39:20and won it

00:39:20and all I've been doing

00:39:22is drinking beer

00:39:22sitting on my backside

00:39:23for months

00:39:24throughout the next decade

00:39:36a new pace attack

00:39:37ruled the cricket world

00:39:38the West Indies

00:39:40dominated all their opponents

00:39:41using not just two

00:39:43but four express pace

00:39:44bowlers in their attack

00:39:45we first faced

00:39:52Roberts holding

00:39:54Garner and Croft

00:39:55and then when Andy Roberts

00:39:57dropped out

00:39:57you had Malcolm Marshall

00:39:59came in there

00:39:59and I mean

00:40:00crikey

00:40:00either of those

00:40:01quartets

00:40:02you can

00:40:03you know

00:40:03you could probably toss a coin

00:40:04which of those quartets

00:40:05the best

00:40:07but it didn't matter

00:40:08which of those four

00:40:09you faced

00:40:10it was tough as hell

00:40:11oh nasty one

00:40:14to be exposed

00:40:16to that

00:40:16that constant barrage

00:40:18it really does

00:40:19mentally get them

00:40:20I saw guys

00:40:20that could

00:40:21you know

00:40:21hold a bat

00:40:22and against a normal attack

00:40:24would be able to

00:40:24you know

00:40:25average 15 to 20

00:40:26in the tail

00:40:27but these guys

00:40:28they were

00:40:29certainly intimidated

00:40:30and they were worried

00:40:31about going out

00:40:32and batting

00:40:32and he's out

00:40:35he's getting in

00:40:36when I was playing

00:40:36for South Australia

00:40:37against the West Indies

00:40:38I was so thrilled

00:40:39that they used to say

00:40:40that they would target

00:40:42the best player

00:40:43and Marshall got me

00:40:44in the side of the head

00:40:44Malcolm Marshall

00:40:45got me in the side of the head

00:40:46and I thought

00:40:46gee they must really

00:40:47rape me as a player

00:40:48for him to launch an assault

00:40:50and that was a pretty nasty one

00:40:51didn't really see it

00:40:52and thankfully

00:40:52a helmet on

00:40:53and you know

00:40:54as well protected

00:40:54as I could be

00:40:55from a safety point of view

00:40:56and flush in the side

00:40:57of the noggin

00:40:58and down you went

00:40:59but when I woke up

00:41:00gee they must really rape me

00:41:01yeah

00:41:01and that's it

00:41:05what are your recollections

00:41:07of facing Andy Roberts

00:41:08he was just a real

00:41:10quality bowler

00:41:10he didn't say much

00:41:11just got on with the job

00:41:13but I think

00:41:14the weapon that he had

00:41:16in particular

00:41:17for my style of game

00:41:18where I'd like to hook

00:41:19was that

00:41:19it would maybe allow you

00:41:20to get away with a hook shot

00:41:21but then the next one

00:41:22would be twice as quick

00:41:23and one day

00:41:25at the WACA

00:41:25when I did have a cap on

00:41:26I hooked him

00:41:27and next ball

00:41:29I thought it was the same delivery

00:41:30went to hook

00:41:30and it just brushed

00:41:31the side

00:41:32it actually brushed

00:41:33the side of my cap

00:41:33so I certainly put

00:41:35the hook shot

00:41:36in the cupboard

00:41:37for the rest of the day

00:41:37that day

00:41:38they're all a bit different

00:41:43where Andy used to bounce a bit

00:41:44Michael used to slide a bit

00:41:46because he used to

00:41:46sort of bowl

00:41:47off

00:41:47didn't get a high delivery stride

00:41:49but on his day

00:41:51Michael was frightened

00:41:53a couple of times

00:41:53here at Perth

00:41:54in a one day game

00:41:56I remember

00:41:57that he was scary

00:41:58but he was a nice bloke

00:42:01Michael

00:42:02once he

00:42:04in Sydney

00:42:05he kept hitting me

00:42:06in the grind

00:42:06and the stomach

00:42:08and so forth

00:42:09and he came down

00:42:09and in his deep voice

00:42:11he said

00:42:11Stumpy

00:42:12have you any children

00:42:13and I said

00:42:15why

00:42:15and he said

00:42:16I hope you have

00:42:17because he hit me

00:42:21that many times

00:42:21so he was that sort of bloke

00:42:22so he was a nice bloke

00:42:25I was never afraid

00:42:29to be hurt

00:42:30by a fast bowler

00:42:31you know

00:42:31I was there

00:42:32to do a job for the team

00:42:33and personally

00:42:33trying to get some runs

00:42:34and when you're walking out

00:42:35you're probably

00:42:36trying to think of

00:42:37how they're trying to get you out

00:42:38and you're obviously

00:42:39trying to think of

00:42:40where you can score runs

00:42:41but I don't think

00:42:42I was ever

00:42:43physically intimidated

00:42:44by them

00:42:45but there's certainly

00:42:46you know

00:42:46that fear of failure

00:42:47which tried to

00:42:48you know

00:42:49you tried to get

00:42:49your best performance

00:42:50against them

00:42:51and I think

00:42:52as I say

00:42:52you tried to think

00:42:53of how they were

00:42:54going to get you out

00:42:55for war and wood

00:42:56it was a morning

00:42:57of living dangerously

00:42:58oh and he got out

00:42:59of the way

00:42:59he was on the move

00:43:00and so

00:43:01both used body

00:43:01as well as bat

00:43:02to fend off

00:43:03the punishingly ruthless assault

00:43:04Graham would surviving

00:43:05but only just

00:43:06and that will be

00:43:08a bit painful

00:43:09the days of

00:43:10when there are

00:43:11unlimited bounces

00:43:12and no protective gear

00:43:14has to be

00:43:14the most intimidating

00:43:15eras of cricket

00:43:17when they could

00:43:19bowl eight bounces

00:43:19at you

00:43:20you've got a batsman

00:43:21up that end

00:43:21for eight balls

00:43:22now it's six balls

00:43:23for a start

00:43:23they've got no

00:43:24protective gear on

00:43:25or major protective gear

00:43:27on

00:43:27and you can bowl

00:43:28eight bounces

00:43:28if you like

00:43:29so you know

00:43:30those eras

00:43:31I noticed clashes

00:43:32Queensland

00:43:33versus Western Australia

00:43:34Dennis Lily

00:43:35bowling to Viv Richards

00:43:36in a Gillette Cup match

00:43:37those scenes

00:43:39are just very intimidating

00:43:40and it wouldn't be easy

00:43:41with the men

00:43:43that were playing

00:43:43in those eras

00:43:44Rod Marsh

00:43:45just about to throw it up

00:43:46oh it's hit him

00:43:48keep somewhere around

00:43:50about the shoulder

00:43:50or neck

00:43:51oh

00:43:52no comment needed

00:43:55as a batsman

00:43:56if you get too much

00:43:57of that sort of thing

00:43:58there comes a time

00:43:58when you can break

00:43:59and I've seen a few

00:44:00batsmen

00:44:01great batsmen

00:44:02get to

00:44:03the end of their tether

00:44:04because of

00:44:06persistent

00:44:06short pitch bowling

00:44:08and let me tell you

00:44:09there was

00:44:10there was a lot

00:44:10of bounces

00:44:11when the ball

00:44:12was around your ears

00:44:13to get a half volley

00:44:14in that era

00:44:16whether it be

00:44:17Thompson or Lily

00:44:18and Roberts

00:44:20and Holding

00:44:21all that mob

00:44:22to get a half volley

00:44:23was like Christmas time

00:44:24it very seldom happened

00:44:26so you better be able

00:44:26to protect your head

00:44:27during this era

00:44:30when the hits to the body

00:44:31often outnumbered

00:44:32hits to the boundary

00:44:33the dangers for batsmen

00:44:34became all too evident

00:44:36wearing pads

00:44:37a protective box

00:44:38and flimsy gloves

00:44:39batsmen often

00:44:40went into the contest

00:44:41with nothing more

00:44:42than a cloth cap

00:44:43on the head

00:44:44all can remember

00:44:45teammates who were felled

00:44:47like a dashing young

00:44:48South Australian batsman

00:44:49called David Hooks

00:44:50who took on Andy Roberts

00:44:52one time too many

00:44:53Andy's in trouble

00:45:02Hooks

00:45:03he used to hook

00:45:05pretty well

00:45:06and then Andy Roberts

00:45:07who was

00:45:08I consider one of the best

00:45:09bowlers

00:45:09that I ever faced

00:45:11used to have a couple

00:45:13of bounces

00:45:14one would be quicker

00:45:15and one would be slower

00:45:15and Hooks

00:45:18he put the first one away

00:45:19and then the second one

00:45:20hit him flush

00:45:21in the jaw

00:45:22and I remember

00:45:23they carried him in

00:45:25and he had a towel

00:45:27around his face

00:45:28and they took the towel

00:45:30off

00:45:30and there was

00:45:31of course there was blood

00:45:32and in the blood

00:45:33you could see little

00:45:34shivers of bone

00:45:37Peter Toohey

00:45:38that was the first test

00:45:39and he got a bad

00:45:42bad one from Roberts

00:45:43and the wicket

00:45:44I remember the game

00:45:45vividly

00:45:46we lost the toss

00:45:47on the first morning

00:45:47the wicket was a little bit wet

00:45:49a bit damp

00:45:50and one went through

00:45:52and he hit rats

00:45:53right above the nose

00:45:54and you know

00:45:55it opened up

00:45:56and you're obviously

00:45:57very very concerned for him

00:45:58and

00:45:58the interesting part

00:46:02about that story

00:46:02was that

00:46:03he had this terrible

00:46:04gash in his head

00:46:05and I can remember

00:46:06them laying him down

00:46:07when they got him back

00:46:08into the dressing room

00:46:09and we said

00:46:10you know

00:46:10you're okay

00:46:10you're going to be

00:46:11you know

00:46:11basically pulled through

00:46:12and his comment to us

00:46:14was my head's okay

00:46:15my hands both

00:46:16he'd broken his hand

00:46:17the over before

00:46:18and no one was aware of it

00:46:20oh and that's

00:46:24hit him

00:46:25a nasty blow

00:46:25and in fact

00:46:26it's gone onto the stumps

00:46:28I think

00:46:29the ball

00:46:29I saw Jeff Lawson

00:46:31get hit

00:46:31or played in the game

00:46:32at the Wacker

00:46:33I think it was

00:46:34Kirtley Ambrose

00:46:34hit him in the jaw

00:46:35flush

00:46:36and that was a

00:46:37sickening blow

00:46:38you know

00:46:39and Henry went down

00:46:40and he looked like

00:46:41he was out for the count

00:46:42and you know

00:46:43good mate

00:46:44you just don't want

00:46:45to see that happen

00:46:45and that certainly

00:46:47is edged in my memory

00:46:49the helmet has become

00:46:50the most essential

00:46:51piece of equipment

00:46:52in world cricket

00:46:53its development

00:46:54came about

00:46:54during the World Series

00:46:55cricket era

00:46:56after the Hooks incident

00:46:57as you get a bit older

00:46:59you start to think

00:46:59a little bit more

00:47:00about the consequences

00:47:01you've at that stage

00:47:02seen a McCosker

00:47:04fell in a test match

00:47:05where he's had

00:47:06his jaw broken

00:47:07you've seen

00:47:09some pictures

00:47:09of guys around

00:47:10the world

00:47:10who've been

00:47:11hit in the head

00:47:12I was there

00:47:13when Chatfield

00:47:14was dead

00:47:15on the field

00:47:16so of course

00:47:18you start to think

00:47:18about it a little bit

00:47:19and for mine

00:47:21it was the reason

00:47:22why we started

00:47:23developing crash helmets

00:47:24I mean

00:47:25we came down

00:47:26to World Series

00:47:26cricket

00:47:27I was 32 years

00:47:28of age

00:47:28and there were

00:47:29lots of others

00:47:29around my vintage

00:47:31I've got to tell you

00:47:32there was

00:47:33no shame

00:47:34going down the road

00:47:35to get

00:47:36the people

00:47:37who knew a bit

00:47:37about crash helmets

00:47:38to develop them

00:47:39six again

00:47:41he's hit that one

00:47:42that's a better shot

00:47:43that was a glorious shot

00:47:45that one

00:47:45from a young man

00:47:46making a comeback

00:47:48what they came up

00:47:49with initially

00:47:50was just

00:47:51an ordinary

00:47:52motorcycle

00:47:53the lightest one

00:47:54they could find

00:47:54but that started it all

00:47:56and of course

00:47:56you can imagine

00:47:57what that did

00:47:57to the Thompsons

00:47:58and the Lillies

00:47:58of this world

00:47:59I mean

00:47:59they saw a crash helmet

00:48:01and that was it

00:48:01it was a target

00:48:02as far as they were concerned

00:48:03and away they went

00:48:05and I did get hit in the head

00:48:06and he's got him

00:48:09on the helmet

00:48:09I think

00:48:10could be the worst strike

00:48:13and Lillie

00:48:13the man to do it

00:48:15historic moment

00:48:17I think

00:48:17and that Dennis Lillie

00:48:19the first baller

00:48:20to strike the helmet

00:48:21nowadays

00:48:22batsmen wear padding

00:48:23to protect the body

00:48:24the helmets

00:48:25have face protection

00:48:26gloves help prevent

00:48:28broken fingers

00:48:28and arm guards

00:48:30protect the arm

00:48:31but sometimes

00:48:32even that isn't enough

00:48:33when a bowler

00:48:34can send them down

00:48:35at over 150 km an hour

00:48:37just ask Joe Angel

00:48:39who had his arm

00:48:40broken by an express

00:48:41delivery from Brett Lee

00:48:42in 1999

00:48:44or Alex Tudor

00:48:46who had another ball

00:48:47from Lee

00:48:47go through his visor

00:48:48in 2002

00:48:49leaving him

00:48:50with a nasty gash

00:48:51over the eye

00:48:52oh that's going

00:48:53a nasty run

00:48:54that's nasty

00:48:55through the helmet

00:48:58that was a bad way

00:49:00unfortunately

00:49:01I don't think blood

00:49:02should be a part of the game

00:49:03I think that

00:49:04batsmen do get hurt

00:49:05and that's just all part of sport

00:49:06you know people get hurt

00:49:07in football

00:49:08people get hurt in hockey

00:49:08if you're playing a contact sport

00:49:11people do get injured

00:49:14and that's just

00:49:14you know that unfortunate thing

00:49:16and I mean I actually

00:49:17hate the sight of blood

00:49:18I don't crave for it

00:49:19you know I don't go out there

00:49:20to intentionally try and hurt a batsman

00:49:22sure you know

00:49:24you might try and scare a batsman

00:49:25to try and get his wicket

00:49:26but the most important thing

00:49:27is if you're working towards

00:49:28that last goal

00:49:29which is to try and get that

00:49:30batsman out

00:49:31that's the most important thing

00:49:32but I mean you know

00:49:34there's been times

00:49:35when batsmen have got injured

00:49:36and I've actually felt

00:49:37really bad after the game

00:49:38and make sure that

00:49:39you know

00:49:39either go and call them up

00:49:41or when Alex Tudor got hit

00:49:43when it went straight

00:49:45through his grill

00:49:45which is a bit of an

00:49:46unfortunate thing

00:49:46I made sure he was okay

00:49:47went and caught up with him

00:49:49after the game

00:49:49and he's getting stitched up

00:49:51and he's holding my hand

00:49:51and I'm going sorry mate

00:49:52he's going nah it's okay

00:49:53it's all part of it

00:49:54it'd be pretty wrong to say

00:50:02that it shocked me

00:50:02more than it shocked him

00:50:03but I was pretty shaken up

00:50:04about it

00:50:05because he's laying on the ground

00:50:07there's all this blood

00:50:07and I mean it's a terrible

00:50:09thing to think about

00:50:09but there's all this blood

00:50:10spurning out

00:50:11and I thought I killed him

00:50:12you know

00:50:13I thought he's

00:50:13in a lot of trouble

00:50:14but yeah he got it stitched up

00:50:16and he was fine

00:50:16batsmen have helmets

00:50:18they have every bit

00:50:19of protection available

00:50:20and yet they still worry

00:50:23about intimidation

00:50:24and intimidatory bowling

00:50:25it's a bit ridiculous really

00:50:28you don't have much

00:50:28sympathy for them

00:50:29not at all

00:50:31I know as a batsman

00:50:33as a tail end batsman

00:50:34I get bounced

00:50:35and I wouldn't have it

00:50:36any other way

00:50:37I'm more than happy

00:50:38to cop 10 in a row

00:50:3920 in a row

00:50:40because that's part of the game

00:50:42we're always joshing

00:50:46with the fast bowlers

00:50:47and telling them

00:50:48how they're bloody mad

00:50:50and you've got to be mad

00:50:51to be a fast bowler

00:50:52and I was telling

00:50:52Andy Roberts this one day

00:50:53after he'd retired

00:50:54and I'd retired

00:50:55and I was telling Andy

00:50:58this and he looked at me

00:50:59and he said

00:50:59Ian

00:50:59he said

00:51:00there's only one person

00:51:02who is sillier

00:51:03than a fast bowler

00:51:04and I said

00:51:04who's that Andy

00:51:05he said

00:51:06the opening batsman

00:51:07who come out

00:51:07and face him

00:51:08if a guy gets seriously injured

00:51:11like if a ball gets through

00:51:12the helmet grill

00:51:13I must say

00:51:15I am a bit concerned

00:51:16but if I see a guy

00:51:17getting hit on the shoulder

00:51:18or in the ribs

00:51:19I must say

00:51:20I'm not overly concerned

00:51:21because we're all men

00:51:23playing a man's game

00:51:25and I believe

00:51:27if you're out there

00:51:28you should cop the good

00:51:30with the bad

00:51:31an old analogy

00:51:34I suppose

00:51:35there's the two bounces

00:51:37and over rule

00:51:38if they're going to be

00:51:41dead serious about it

00:51:42there should be the

00:51:42two cover drives

00:51:43and over rule

00:51:44if a batsman hits you

00:51:46for two cover drives

00:51:47umpires would say

00:51:49well that's enough

00:51:49they're not allowed

00:51:51to bowl two bounces

00:51:52so you're not allowed

00:51:53to hit two cover drives

00:51:54or no more than

00:51:55two cover drives

00:51:56I'd like to see that come in

00:51:58but I don't think so

00:51:59I don't think it'll happen

00:52:00another ripper

00:52:07not getting a result

00:52:08but 151.9

00:52:09the crowd roaring here

00:52:11the current interest

00:52:12in express bowling

00:52:13was revived by a young

00:52:14Pakistani paceman

00:52:15Shoabakhtar

00:52:16who was timed

00:52:17in the late 90s

00:52:18at 154 km an hour

00:52:20oh he's got him

00:52:24he's got him

00:52:25it's a ball

00:52:25beautifully ball

00:52:26about a year later

00:52:28Australia's Brett Lee

00:52:29he was timed

00:52:30in his first test

00:52:30at the same speed

00:52:32throughout 2000

00:52:34the two consistently

00:52:35bowled at speeds

00:52:36in excess of 150

00:52:37pushing each other

00:52:38until they both bowled

00:52:40at 156 km an hour

00:52:42oh and right up

00:52:46in the block hole

00:52:47so that one

00:52:48156.2 km an hour

00:52:50and that's as fast as he's ever bowled

00:52:53meanwhile other bowlers

00:52:55started breaking through

00:52:56the 150 km an hour barrier

00:52:58South Africa's Nanty Haywood

00:53:01stopped the speed gun

00:53:02at 154.4

00:53:04New Zealand's Shane Bond

00:53:07also joined the club

00:53:08with a 151 km an hour delivery

00:53:11as did another South African bowler

00:53:13Micaiah Nantini

00:53:15the sixth bowler

00:53:16to join this exclusive

00:53:17Express Pace club

00:53:18was Australian

00:53:19Jason Gillespie

00:53:20who peaked

00:53:21at 153.9

00:53:23big shout there

00:53:27and out first ball

00:53:29beautiful bowling

00:53:30from Jason Gillespie

00:53:32who's now on a hat-trick

00:53:33it's nice to look up

00:53:36and see that you're bowled

00:53:37at 150 plus

00:53:38I mean

00:53:38yeah I'm not going to lie to you

00:53:40it was nice

00:53:41but it's not something

00:53:42you go on

00:53:43specifically set out to do

00:53:45you know

00:53:46there's a lot of factors

00:53:47in being able to achieve

00:53:48that sort of speed

00:53:49you know

00:53:50I think the way

00:53:50the ball's coming out

00:53:51on the day

00:53:52you know

00:53:53favourable conditions

00:53:54you know

00:53:56guys like Brett

00:53:57and Shob

00:53:58can do it pretty consistently

00:53:59someone like myself

00:54:01I'd have to

00:54:03I'd have to really push through

00:54:04and go as hard as I can

00:54:06and you know

00:54:07and it hurts a little bit

00:54:10at times

00:54:10if I you know

00:54:11try to achieve

00:54:12that sort of mark

00:54:12but it's not something

00:54:14you go out to achieve

00:54:15every game you play

00:54:16I enjoy it

00:54:17when they have

00:54:17the quick spells

00:54:18you get there

00:54:19and when I

00:54:19because I commentate

00:54:20and that

00:54:21and you get there

00:54:21and see them bowling quick

00:54:22and you see the batsmen

00:54:23hopping around

00:54:24yeah it brings back memories

00:54:26but the thing is

00:54:28I think this day and age

00:54:30it lacks a lot

00:54:31there's only

00:54:31Shaab

00:54:32turns up every now and then

00:54:34and bowls

00:54:35a sharp spell

00:54:36Brett Lee

00:54:37bowls quick in spells

00:54:38he'll tell you that himself

00:54:39not consistently

00:54:40and there's not many others

00:54:44I mean

00:54:45when we played in our era

00:54:46there was an era

00:54:46of fast bowlers galore

00:54:48you know

00:54:48the few of those blokes

00:54:49I just mentioned before

00:54:50and then you throw in

00:54:51your Imran cards

00:54:52and then all the blokes

00:54:53around Australia

00:54:54there was lunatics

00:54:54running around here

00:54:55trying to hit everybody

00:54:56all the time

00:54:57apart from Lily

00:54:59and myself

00:55:00and then all the other teams

00:55:02always seem to have

00:55:03quick bowlers

00:55:04around the place

00:55:04so there's a barrage

00:55:05of fast bowlers

00:55:06oh what a quick finish

00:55:11to the over

00:55:12three very good deliveries

00:55:13the introduction

00:55:14of the radar gun

00:55:15has increased the interest

00:55:16in express pace

00:55:17because for the first time

00:55:19viewers have a reference

00:55:20for just how much speed

00:55:21each bowler is generating

00:55:23with his deliveries

00:55:23the most popular form

00:55:26of speed measurement

00:55:27at the moment

00:55:27is microwave technology

00:55:30and it's just basically

00:55:32two radars

00:55:33which send out

00:55:34a microwave beam

00:55:35and will detect

00:55:35any movement

00:55:36within that beam

00:55:37the speed gun to me

00:55:38I think

00:55:39is a terrific thing

00:55:41for the public

00:55:42might be good

00:55:44for the viewers

00:55:44sitting at home

00:55:45but it doesn't matter

00:55:47a tinker's curse

00:55:48for the players

00:55:49but also

00:55:50you know

00:55:51I've always said

00:55:53I don't need

00:55:53any speed gun

00:55:54I don't need

00:55:55any computer

00:55:56to tell me

00:55:57that the guy

00:55:57that I'm facing

00:55:58is fast

00:55:58crikey

00:55:59if I'm

00:56:00you know

00:56:0020 yards away

00:56:02or whatever that is

00:56:03in metres away

00:56:04I bloody will know

00:56:05I better know

00:56:06it's fast

00:56:06otherwise I'm in

00:56:07in deep trouble

00:56:08so how sure

00:56:09can you be

00:56:10these days

00:56:10when we've recorded

00:56:12speeds of say

00:56:12160 and 161

00:56:14kilometres an hour

00:56:15that those

00:56:15are the real speeds

00:56:16well these speed guns

00:56:17get sent away

00:56:18to their manufacturers

00:56:19on a regular basis

00:56:20to get calibrated

00:56:21and they come back

00:56:22with calibration certificates

00:56:23and they're all certified

00:56:25technicians obviously

00:56:27that do this for us

00:56:28and we obviously know

00:56:30if we're out or not

00:56:31because we know

00:56:32what to expect

00:56:33nowadays from the bowlers

00:56:34and they're pretty close

00:56:36gone

00:56:39quick delivery

00:56:40150.5

00:56:42Stephen Fleming's up

00:56:42when Brett's on a

00:56:44on a really good spell

00:56:46I've got butterflies

00:56:47in my stomach

00:56:48and I mean

00:56:49it excites the hell

00:56:50out of me

00:56:51I love it

00:56:52oh and that one

00:56:54does bounce

00:56:55and that's it

00:56:55he's caught behind

00:56:56yes he's caught behind

00:56:58another very fast delivery

00:57:00they time them

00:57:01definitely now

00:57:02I mean

00:57:02these speed guns

00:57:03are gimmicks

00:57:04I mean

00:57:04you can even query

00:57:06the coppers

00:57:06when they book you

00:57:07on the road

00:57:07but the blokes

00:57:07will tell you

00:57:08the technicians

00:57:08that set them up

00:57:09they're just

00:57:10you know

00:57:11it's just

00:57:11it's only a guideline

00:57:13for the punters

00:57:15that go and watch

00:57:15and it's not accurate

00:57:17they only time it

00:57:18out of the hand

00:57:19I mean

00:57:19you sound like

00:57:20I'm a bloke

00:57:21trying to protect

00:57:21the record

00:57:22well I bowled

00:57:22bloody quick

00:57:23and I think I bowled

00:57:24quicker than these

00:57:24blokes

00:57:25in 1999

00:57:26Dennis Lilley had

00:57:28written about

00:57:28a sensational

00:57:29young speedster

00:57:30who was about

00:57:30to burst

00:57:31onto the world

00:57:31stage

00:57:32that young man

00:57:33lived up to

00:57:34all the hype

00:57:34when with his

00:57:35fourth test delivery

00:57:37he took a wicket

00:57:38he ended up

00:57:47with five

00:57:47for the innings

00:57:48and produced

00:57:48a top speed

00:57:49of 154.1

00:57:51kilometres an hour

00:57:52I've been waiting

00:57:53since I was nine

00:57:54years old

00:57:54to play test cricket

00:57:55it's been my dream

00:57:56to wear that bag

00:57:57of green cap

00:57:57I'm there with guys

00:57:58who I've watched

00:57:59on TV growing up

00:58:00and I think

00:58:01well I'm just going

00:58:01to go out there

00:58:02and just give them

00:58:02my best shot

00:58:03don't be nervous

00:58:04don't go out there

00:58:05and hold back

00:58:06just go and be

00:58:07nice and positive

00:58:07and just enjoy it

00:58:08because it's just

00:58:09a game of cricket

00:58:09so I've walked out

00:58:11there and yeah

00:58:12I mean it was

00:58:13a pretty exciting

00:58:13day for me

00:58:14I was actually

00:58:15in Melbourne

00:58:15mates of

00:58:17three of my good mates

00:58:19we always go into

00:58:19Melbourne for the

00:58:20Boxing Day test

00:58:20it's been a bit

00:58:21of a tradition now

00:58:21and we'd already

00:58:23booked the flights

00:58:24and we found out

00:58:25Brett had been picked

00:58:25so it was a bit

00:58:26of an added bonus

00:58:27and we're actually

00:58:28sitting in the outer

00:58:28at the MCG

00:58:29I actually get a goosebump

00:58:30so I tell this story

00:58:31but when he came in

00:58:32that first over

00:58:33and I think it was

00:58:33fourth ball

00:58:34and the batsman played on

00:58:36I think I was first

00:58:37out of my seat

00:58:38dropped the pie

00:58:39and the beer

00:58:39but no it was great

00:58:42to see him

00:58:42it was a big build up

00:58:43before that test match

00:58:44about this new

00:58:45young fast bowler

00:58:46and I was quite nervous

00:58:48for him

00:58:48hoping he'd do well

00:58:49but things worked out

00:58:50very well

00:58:50oh that's well

00:58:54big appeal

00:58:54it's got him

00:58:55out

00:58:55LBW

00:58:55LBW first ball

00:58:57Brett Lee

00:58:58beautiful delivery

00:58:59bang on target

00:59:01fast furious

00:59:02and dead straight

00:59:03oh he's hit him

00:59:07in there

00:59:07this is out

00:59:08yes he's taken it

00:59:09at the end of the street

00:59:10now

00:59:10he's got another one

00:59:12oh

00:59:12what a day

00:59:14five wickets on debut

00:59:18Brett Lee

00:59:19has brought

00:59:20the MCG alive

00:59:22Brett Lee's enthusiasm

00:59:23for the game

00:59:24stemmed from his

00:59:24older brother Shane

00:59:25who captained

00:59:26New South Wales

00:59:27and represented

00:59:28Australia in

00:59:2945 one day

00:59:30internationals

00:59:31Shane came home

00:59:32and Shane was about

00:59:33ten at first

00:59:34I would have been

00:59:34like seven

00:59:35came home and asked

00:59:36mum and dad

00:59:37if he could learn

00:59:38how to play cricket

00:59:38and mum and dad

00:59:39said don't play cricket

00:59:40it's a pretty boring

00:59:41sport you know

00:59:41play soccer or football

00:59:43or something like that

00:59:43which would be over

00:59:44in about an hour or so

00:59:45thinking you know

00:59:46they'd have to sit down

00:59:47in the field

00:59:47watching six hours of play

00:59:49so Shane left

00:59:50and went back to school

00:59:52and didn't really

00:59:52sort of mention cricket

00:59:53for about the next two years

00:59:54came home when he was 12

00:59:55and said I don't care

00:59:56what you're playing

00:59:56I'm playing cricket

00:59:57threw me the ball

00:59:59and said bowl to me

00:59:59and I said well

01:00:00how do you bowl

01:00:01I was only nine at that stage

01:00:02and he said just roll

01:00:03your arm over like this

01:00:04so then I started

01:00:05bowling in the backyard

01:00:06and then about two months

01:00:07later I joined

01:00:08the local cricket side

01:00:09of the Oak Flats

01:00:10Rats down on the south coast

01:00:11and just fell in love

01:00:13with fast bowling

01:00:14we had a really long

01:00:16driveway at home

01:00:17and being the oldest

01:00:18brother I was always

01:00:19the one who batted first

01:00:20and you know

01:00:21threw about the tennis

01:00:22ball to a young age

01:00:22one thing I do remember

01:00:23we always had a really

01:00:24good action

01:00:25he was always really short

01:00:26for his age at that stage

01:00:27but a really good action

01:00:29bowled pretty quick

01:00:30pretty much from day one

01:00:31before Brett Lee was selected

01:00:34for Australia

01:00:35he won the man of the match

01:00:36award in a Sheffield

01:00:38Shield game

01:00:38for New South Wales

01:00:39in Perth

01:00:40his devastatingly quick

01:00:41bowling in the game

01:00:42will live forever

01:00:43in the memory

01:00:44of those who took part

01:00:45I had pretty good guys

01:00:47to try and impress

01:00:48that Steve Waugh

01:00:49as captain

01:00:49for the New South Wales team

01:00:50Michael Slater

01:00:51Mark Waugh

01:00:52the whole boys

01:00:53were in there watching

01:00:54so I thought it would be

01:00:54a pretty good chance

01:00:55to try and impress

01:00:55like the Australian captain

01:00:57and I was bowling

01:00:59with the wind

01:00:59with the free metal doctor

01:01:00behind me

01:01:01had the second brand new ball

01:01:02and things just happened

01:01:04sometimes

01:01:04and you know

01:01:05the body felt really good

01:01:06there's a slight breeze

01:01:07behind me

01:01:08the wicket had a lot of carry

01:01:09you know

01:01:10the ball was going through

01:01:10pretty well

01:01:11so a whole different

01:01:12lot of factors

01:01:13contributed to

01:01:14the whole mental thing

01:01:16I felt like

01:01:16it was coming out quick

01:01:17and I remember

01:01:19sort of Brad Haddon

01:01:20saying that's the fastest

01:01:20he's ever seen

01:01:21keeping wise

01:01:22and you know

01:01:23he's kept to me

01:01:24for quite a few years now

01:01:25and he'd definitely

01:01:27put that up there

01:01:28with the quickest he's seen

01:01:28so it's just at that stage

01:01:30where you know

01:01:30there's a few wickets

01:01:31falling too

01:01:31so once you know

01:01:33you get a couple of wickets

01:01:34you tend to bowl

01:01:34it'll be quicker

01:01:35the next ball

01:01:36and you can get pretty excited

01:01:37and that's the quickest

01:01:38I'd ever seen

01:01:39a bowl a bowl

01:01:40and you know

01:01:41the least time I've ever seen

01:01:42a batsman have to react

01:01:43to a ball

01:01:43and the Western Australian coach

01:01:46at the time

01:01:46actually said he was scared

01:01:47for his batsman

01:01:48walking out there

01:01:49and Brett broke

01:01:50Joe Angel's arm that day

01:01:51and you know

01:01:52that's as nasty

01:01:53as fast as I've ever seen

01:01:54a bowl a bowl a bowl

01:01:55Brett's rise in world cricket

01:01:58has coincided with that

01:01:59of Shoab Akta

01:02:00the Royal Pindi Express

01:02:02oh he's knocked him over

01:02:04what a river

01:02:05what a good piece of bowling

01:02:07151.1

01:02:08when Brett Lee

01:02:09set a new personal benchmark

01:02:11of 157 kilometres an hour

01:02:13in 2002

01:02:14Shoab responded

01:02:16with several faster deliveries

01:02:17one being timed

01:02:18at 159.9

01:02:21a mere 1.1 kilometre an hour

01:02:23shy of the magical

01:02:25100 mile an hour barrier

01:02:26the two speedsters

01:02:28seem to be taking inspiration

01:02:30from each other

01:02:31we're great mates

01:02:33and we've been pretty good friends

01:02:34for the last

01:02:36five or so years

01:02:37Shoab came out and played

01:02:39a few games for Mossman

01:02:41which is my local club

01:02:42here in Sydney

01:02:42but I think

01:02:45the first time

01:02:46that I heard about Shoab Akta

01:02:47we just finished playing

01:02:49a first grade game

01:02:50for Mossman

01:02:50so the guys have gone up

01:02:51back to the club

01:02:52for a couple of quiet ones

01:02:54after the match

01:02:54and I remember watching

01:02:55on Foxtel

01:02:57and watching

01:02:57you know

01:02:58the bowlers

01:02:59running and

01:03:00bowling pretty quick

01:03:01and then there's a huge buzz

01:03:02and everyone's saying

01:03:03who's this Shoab Akta guy

01:03:04because he's got the batsman

01:03:06jumping around everywhere

01:03:06and he's bowling real quick

01:03:08so I took a few mental notes

01:03:09and thought Akta

01:03:10he's got some serious pace

01:03:12and that is

01:03:13he grew more in stature

01:03:14and became a bit more confident

01:03:16he just started to bowl

01:03:17really quick

01:03:18and he's bowling

01:03:18150s each time he's bowling

01:03:20so I thought

01:03:21this guy's a really good chance

01:03:22of breaking the 160

01:03:23so I was pretty

01:03:24you know

01:03:24honoured and proud to meet him

01:03:25and we just clicked straight away

01:03:27obviously we had

01:03:27a few things in common

01:03:29you know

01:03:29we both love bowling fast

01:03:31and there's times then

01:03:33when he actually flew out

01:03:34to Australia

01:03:35and we caught up

01:03:36and had a bit of a feed

01:03:36and a bit of a chat

01:03:37and you know

01:03:37we shared a few different things

01:03:38about fast bowling

01:03:40and I've learned a lot off him

01:03:41and hopefully he's learned

01:03:42a little bit off me

01:03:42about bowling

01:03:43I think Brett is one of the

01:03:46a good thing

01:03:48happened to Australian cricket

01:03:49and I just wish him

01:03:52best of luck

01:03:52and I just wish him

01:03:53to perform well

01:03:54keep him performing well

01:03:55he's been bowling well

01:03:56for the last two years

01:03:57so

01:03:57and

01:03:58it's end of the day

01:04:00matters a lot

01:04:00it's a record

01:04:01and if you're naming

01:04:02the books

01:04:03if you've got more than

01:04:04300 wickets in test cricket

01:04:06that's people's gonna remember

01:04:07then

01:04:07oh yes

01:04:08Brett was a fast footballer

01:04:10or Shreya was a fast footballer

01:04:11and I just

01:04:12I'm not

01:04:13worried about

01:04:14that thing

01:04:15if someone's gonna come along

01:04:16the line

01:04:17and the road

01:04:18like someone's tried

01:04:19to cross the

01:04:20161

01:04:21at the day

01:04:22and I'd be happy for him

01:04:24I'd be the first person

01:04:25to congratulate him

01:04:26so

01:04:27I'm not

01:04:28as I said

01:04:29I'm not a jealous person

01:04:30and I'm not

01:04:30not looking for any rivalries

01:04:32I just want to perform

01:04:33I just want to enjoy my cricket

01:04:34I love playing cricket

01:04:36I love playing for my country

01:04:37and

01:04:38I'm just trying to be

01:04:39the best servant

01:04:40of my country

01:04:41and to the game

01:04:41and whoever is doing the best

01:04:44I'm always happy for them

01:04:45I remember playing at the

01:04:46the colonial series

01:04:48like a one day comp

01:04:49I've got at the bat

01:04:50and there's a huge crowd

01:04:51and it's pretty noisy out there

01:04:53and

01:04:53sort of facing up

01:04:55and they tell you tip about

01:04:56facing a fast bowler

01:04:57is that you don't try

01:04:58and watch him run in

01:04:59because if

01:05:00if you watch a fast bowler

01:05:01running in the whole way

01:05:02then

01:05:03you see him running in

01:05:04and you're thinking

01:05:04oh jeez

01:05:04he's getting close

01:05:05and he's getting bigger

01:05:06and bigger

01:05:06and then

01:05:07they just

01:05:08worry about

01:05:08you know

01:05:09the bowler

01:05:09not worry about

01:05:09the ball coming down

01:05:10so the best batsmen

01:05:12who face fast bowling

01:05:13tend to have their head

01:05:14down the whole time

01:05:15have like a bit of a count

01:05:16because they know

01:05:17a bowler's run up

01:05:17and then run up

01:05:18just as you're about to jump

01:05:19and then you can switch on

01:05:20then

01:05:21and then watch the ball

01:05:22me being not a

01:05:24a known batsman

01:05:25I've got him to face

01:05:27the first ball

01:05:28and he's going

01:05:29bing up

01:05:29bouncer

01:05:30and I'm going

01:05:33like

01:05:33what

01:05:34and he's like

01:05:34he's looked up again

01:05:35he's going like this

01:05:36straight ahead

01:05:36and he easy

01:05:38he's pointing to his head

01:05:40here he comes

01:05:41I thought well

01:05:42he's either going to go

01:05:43two ways

01:05:43he's either going to try

01:05:44and do the reverse

01:05:45malachi we call it

01:05:46when he

01:05:47you know

01:05:47the batsman says

01:05:48or a bowler says

01:05:49he's going to do something

01:05:49does the other thing

01:05:51so I'm thinking

01:05:52definitely going to be a Yorker

01:05:54he's going to try

01:05:54and knock me over

01:05:54first ball

01:05:55try and get me going

01:05:55away

01:05:56think it's going to be

01:05:56a short ball

01:05:57and sure enough

01:05:58there's a big Yorker

01:06:00straight in

01:06:00I missed him

01:06:01straight on the bridge

01:06:03of the foot

01:06:03hurt me a lot

01:06:05but yeah

01:06:06I mean

01:06:07that was a pretty scary

01:06:08moment too

01:06:08but yeah

01:06:09there's times when

01:06:10I've been bowling to him

01:06:11and I actually bounced

01:06:12from that game

01:06:13prior to him

01:06:14bowling to me

01:06:15so I knew that

01:06:15there was going to be

01:06:16something quick

01:06:16coming at me

01:06:17yeah so the second match

01:06:19yeah I remember that

01:06:20I just was japan with him

01:06:22and I just

01:06:24tried to scare him

01:06:25I was going to pitch a bouncer

01:06:26because he's not a scared

01:06:27person at all

01:06:28so he loves to take

01:06:29challenges

01:06:29and I just

01:06:30it was a kind of joke

01:06:31rather than anything else

01:06:32so I just

01:06:34I just tried to bore

01:06:36Yorker to him

01:06:36and I just

01:06:37deceived him

01:06:38but didn't get a wicket

01:06:40but on the other hand

01:06:41my friend Andy Bickle

01:06:42gave me a wicket so easily

01:06:43so I was far happier

01:06:45than anything else

01:06:46he's one of the great favourites

01:06:55in world cricket

01:06:56especially amongst the girls

01:06:57I mean he's the most

01:06:58incredible character

01:06:59flamboyant

01:07:01doesn't know

01:07:02he's so enthusiastic

01:07:03you can see him

01:07:04when he gets involved

01:07:05in interviews

01:07:05he doesn't know where

01:07:06to stop talking

01:07:07he just gets so excited

01:07:08and so when he gets going

01:07:10out in the centre

01:07:10you know you can see him

01:07:12build up

01:07:13you can see the frustration

01:07:15written all over him

01:07:16when he doesn't quite get

01:07:17it all together

01:07:18because he's not quite

01:07:19I don't think as rhythmic

01:07:21as Brett Lee

01:07:22he needs to be warm

01:07:24sweaty

01:07:25before it really starts

01:07:27to happen for him

01:07:28but

01:07:29he's a great fastball

01:07:31and very very exciting

01:07:32to watch

01:07:32I just do my job

01:07:37and I just always

01:07:38and I always enjoy a crowd

01:07:40and I always be nice

01:07:41to the crowd

01:07:42I never had a tough time

01:07:43in Australia

01:07:44and I never had

01:07:45any tough time

01:07:46anywhere else in the world

01:07:47and I always enjoy it

01:07:49I enjoy my bowling

01:07:50enjoy myself

01:07:50I just try to make

01:07:51most of it for myself

01:07:52because I just want

01:07:54to play my cricket

01:07:55I just want to serve

01:07:56the best to my country

01:07:57I just want to be

01:07:58greater service

01:07:59for my country

01:07:59as long as I can

01:08:00play for my country

01:08:02I just want to be

01:08:03out there

01:08:03enjoy myself

01:08:04enjoy it properly

01:08:06and do my job properly

01:08:08and just enjoy it

01:08:10all together

01:08:10and that's my aim

01:08:12and I'm just taking

01:08:13easy out as comes

01:08:14He's a naturally

01:08:15gifted athlete

01:08:16for a start

01:08:17I mean he never

01:08:18started bowling fast

01:08:19about 18, 19 years of age

01:08:20he is hypermobile

01:08:23in every joint of his body

01:08:24we took him to

01:08:25a trauma specialist

01:08:26in England

01:08:26who measured all

01:08:27this hypermobility

01:08:28and it's not just

01:08:29in his shoulder

01:08:30or his elbow

01:08:30or whatever

01:08:31it's all over his body

01:08:32and I think it's just

01:08:35that little bit

01:08:35of extra extension

01:08:36that he gets

01:08:37because of this

01:08:38hypermobility

01:08:39that gives him

01:08:41that extra little lever

01:08:44if you like

01:08:44to be able to bowl

01:08:45as quick as he can

01:08:46Brett Lee

01:08:46I think has just

01:08:47got a beautiful action

01:08:49he's strong

01:08:49he's beautiful rhythm

01:08:51in his bowling

01:08:52and he's just

01:08:53an out and out

01:08:55very good power athlete

01:08:56oh that's a very quick

01:09:00bouncer

01:09:00and a very accurate one

01:09:02all it brings

01:09:04is a smile

01:09:04I always admire

01:09:06lots of Australian

01:09:06batsmen

01:09:07because they

01:09:07are used to

01:09:08fast bowling

01:09:10and they're never scared

01:09:11I don't know

01:09:12deep side

01:09:12in the heart

01:09:14like what they feel like

01:09:15but you know

01:09:16it shows better character

01:09:17to me

01:09:17and it shows better character

01:09:18to other bowlers

01:09:19oh that was quick

01:09:23and it really climbed

01:09:24a terrific take

01:09:25by Noan Garn

01:09:26I was standing

01:09:29at the non-strikers end

01:09:31when Ricky

01:09:31faced an over

01:09:32from Shoa Bakhtar

01:09:33which must have been

01:09:35Jeff Thompson

01:09:36they tell me

01:09:36used to bowl

01:09:37like the wind

01:09:37but must have been

01:09:38the fastest over

01:09:39ever bowled

01:09:40in test history

01:09:41it was unbelievable

01:09:42I was at the other end

01:09:43giggling

01:09:44and sort of chuckling

01:09:45at Ricky

01:09:46who was almost

01:09:47got to a stage

01:09:48where he thought

01:09:49this is so quick

01:09:49he had a smile

01:09:50but usually

01:09:51you'd be all tense

01:09:51and pumped

01:09:52but he was having

01:09:53a smile

01:09:53because that one over

01:09:54from Akhtar

01:09:55bowling with the sea breeze

01:09:57behind him

01:09:57at the wacker

01:09:58on a fast bouncy wicket

01:09:59was as quick as I've seen

01:10:00in a game of cricket

01:10:02I think

01:10:02once again

01:10:06a climber

01:10:07that's when it's nice

01:10:09to be up here

01:10:09in the commentary box

01:10:10and not out there

01:10:11with a green helmet on

01:10:12for 28 years

01:10:14Jeff Thompson's

01:10:15160.45 km

01:10:17an hour delivery

01:10:18just shy of 100 miles an hour

01:10:20had been recognised

01:10:21as the fastest ever recorded

01:10:23the big question

01:10:25in world cricket

01:10:25was could anyone exceed it

01:10:27moreover

01:10:28could anyone break

01:10:30cricket's metaphorical

01:10:31four minute mile

01:10:32the 100 mile an hour barrier

01:10:33the 2003 world cup

01:10:37in South Africa

01:10:38seemed the ideal arena

01:10:39for a showdown

01:10:40between

01:10:41the kings of speed

01:10:42I still state that

01:10:44I'd much rather

01:10:45take five wickets

01:10:46than bowl 160

01:10:47because

01:10:48you know

01:10:49it's great to bowl fast

01:10:50but

01:10:51there's no point

01:10:52in bowling fast

01:10:52if you can't bowl

01:10:53that right line length

01:10:55and there's no reason

01:10:56to why you can't bowl fast

01:10:57and bowl

01:10:58controlled too

01:10:59but

01:11:00I mean

01:11:01that was a major goal

01:11:02and that was a goal

01:11:02that I had during the world cup

01:11:04I knew that I felt pretty fit

01:11:05it was probably the fittest

01:11:07I've felt over the last

01:11:07probably two or three years

01:11:09so

01:11:09mentally I was strong

01:11:10I felt very sort of

01:11:11physically strong

01:11:12and it was at that

01:11:13stage where

01:11:15I was bowling

01:11:16and you know

01:11:17things just felt great

01:11:18and

01:11:18I thought that one

01:11:19came out pretty good

01:11:20and they came up

01:11:21about 150 odd

01:11:22my first day

01:11:23and I thought

01:11:23well

01:11:24bowling with a brand new ball too

01:11:25helps

01:11:25pace it a little bit

01:11:27and then

01:11:27bowled the next ball

01:11:28154

01:11:29so I kept climbing

01:11:30and I thought

01:11:32well

01:11:32if there's ever a chance

01:11:33to bowl 160

01:11:33this is definitely it

01:11:34so

01:11:37I didn't really want

01:11:38to sort of push it too much

01:11:39because if I was trying

01:11:39to bowl too fast

01:11:40then your pace

01:11:41tends to drop a fair bit

01:11:42so I thought

01:11:43just keep going

01:11:44through my checkpoints

01:11:45obviously keep bowling

01:11:46that right line length

01:11:46to try and take wickets

01:11:47that's what I'm here for

01:11:48but if I stay nice and tall

01:11:50keep my front arm up

01:11:52nice and high

01:11:52and pull down nice and hard

01:11:53then it might happen

01:11:55that I looked up

01:11:56and 158

01:11:56and I thought

01:11:57well that's the quickest

01:11:58I've ever bowled so far

01:11:59so

01:11:59and I haven't really even

01:12:01tried to sort of crank one up

01:12:03at full pace yet

01:12:03just short of 160

01:12:05that last delivery

01:12:06just short of 160 carries

01:12:08look at that fastest ball

01:12:09159.9

01:12:10so I thought

01:12:12well

01:12:12there's a chance

01:12:13of having a crack at it

01:12:14and then I bowled one ball

01:12:15and I thought

01:12:15that felt pretty good

01:12:16looked up

01:12:17it said 160

01:12:18oh he's got that

01:12:19way off his thigh pad

01:12:21I think

01:12:21down to fine leg

01:12:22for one

01:12:23I mean

01:12:25it was a

01:12:26a great feeling

01:12:26to bowl that 160

01:12:27and I thought

01:12:28well this is amazing

01:12:29I've broken that 160 barrier

01:12:31so I went back down

01:12:32to fine leg

01:12:33and they all cheered me

01:12:33which was a very special moment

01:12:36but

01:12:36I would definitely

01:12:38sort of say

01:12:39that

01:12:39deep down inside

01:12:42I've always wanted

01:12:43to break that 160 barrier

01:12:44because it's

01:12:45been a dream of mine

01:12:46since I was 10 years old

01:12:47to try and be

01:12:48the world's fastest bowler

01:12:49if you're going to ask

01:12:50my mother

01:12:51she said

01:12:51I've always wanted

01:12:52two things growing up

01:12:52and one was to play

01:12:53cricket for Australia

01:12:54and one was to be

01:12:55the world's fastest bowler

01:12:56so

01:12:57it was

01:12:59a very special moment

01:13:00to achieve

01:13:00that 160 barrier

01:13:02oh and that's a good ball

01:13:06that's a very good ball

01:13:08it's gone flying away

01:13:09over the top of potty

01:13:10oh boy

01:13:12that one

01:13:13certainly did take off

01:13:14Brett Lee

01:13:15had achieved

01:13:16his own personal best

01:13:17with 160.7

01:13:18but Shoa

01:13:19went even faster

01:13:20161.3

01:13:23or

01:13:24100.2

01:13:26miles an hour

01:13:27the first bowler

01:13:28ever to be recorded

01:13:30at more than

01:13:30100 miles an hour

01:13:32very quick from Shoa

01:13:34Buckham

01:13:34excellent over

01:13:35and made it from

01:13:35let's beat stuff

01:13:36over it's gone

01:13:37100.2 miles an hour

01:13:39brilliant stuff

01:13:40England 7 for 1

01:13:42I was there

01:13:43with Pakistan

01:13:44at the World Cup

01:13:45I was a fast bowling

01:13:46advisor to them

01:13:47and that particular day

01:13:49we were at Cape Town

01:13:51and Akhtar decided

01:13:52that he was going to

01:13:53let rip

01:13:54but he

01:13:55won for 60

01:13:56I think

01:13:56or none for 60

01:13:57he might have got one

01:13:58wicket

01:13:59but off he's

01:14:008 and 9 over

01:14:00wasn't a very good return

01:14:02so

01:14:02speed is not necessarily

01:14:04particularly in the

01:14:05one day game

01:14:06the absolute be all

01:14:07and end all

01:14:08you know

01:14:08put a bit of bat on

01:14:09a bit of speed

01:14:10and it gathers pace

01:14:11and you can go for

01:14:12quite a few runs

01:14:13so

01:14:13Shoa wasn't

01:14:14I mean he was happy

01:14:15he bowled that

01:14:16fast delivery

01:14:19on that particular

01:14:20occasion

01:14:20broke the 100

01:14:21mile an hour barrier

01:14:22but

01:14:22you know

01:14:23his absolute figures

01:14:24in that game

01:14:24were pretty horrendous

01:14:25here he comes again

01:14:27here he comes again

01:14:27that's gone in the air

01:14:32but

01:14:32it'll end up

01:14:34safe

01:14:35in fact

01:14:36it's gone

01:14:36all the way

01:14:386

01:14:38top edge

01:14:39extreme pace

01:14:41I was feeling good

01:14:42I thought

01:14:42this is a day

01:14:43just finish it once

01:14:44or all

01:14:44but unfortunately

01:14:46I crossed the 100 miles

01:14:48I crossed the 100 miles

01:14:49but unfortunately

01:14:50I didn't ball good

01:14:51in the last 2-3 overs

01:14:53which I should have

01:14:54ball good

01:14:54and given away

01:14:55a couple of runs

01:14:56well

01:14:58at the end of the day

01:14:59I just didn't really

01:15:00enjoy it the way I should

01:15:01but

01:15:02well something needs to be done

01:15:03and something has to be done

01:15:05and I crossed it

01:15:06I've done it

01:15:06and it's finished

01:15:08once or all

01:15:08and now I'm just

01:15:09going out there

01:15:10and just enjoy myself

01:15:12by performing a lot

01:15:13I think it's having

01:15:19a huge impact on kids

01:15:20I think we've seen

01:15:21in Australia

01:15:22kids go from

01:15:23bowling leg spin

01:15:24and having blonde hair

01:15:25to now looking to

01:15:26bowl fast

01:15:27and rip it down the pitch

01:15:28so I think it's having

01:15:29an impact

01:15:29not only in the current

01:15:31top level cricketing ranks

01:15:32but right down

01:15:33to the grassroots level

01:15:34I think it's a great thing

01:15:35for cricket

01:15:36I think there's some

01:15:38other boys around the world

01:15:39that are going to give

01:15:39a bit of a shake as well

01:15:40I think

01:15:41they're naturally gifted

01:15:43athletes

01:15:44and very powerful

01:15:45athletes

01:15:45who've got the benefit

01:15:46these days

01:15:47of a lot of strength

01:15:48training and power

01:15:49training

01:15:49and I think it's only

01:15:51going to improve

01:15:52I don't think they'll

01:15:53bowl all that much

01:15:54quicker than what

01:15:54they're bowling at the

01:15:55moment

01:15:55but I think there'll be

01:15:57a lot of bowlers up

01:15:57and around that mark

01:15:58over the next few years

01:15:59we almost forgot about

01:16:01the quick man for a while

01:16:02there but it's probably

01:16:03been a resurgence in

01:16:04recent times with people

01:16:06like Shoa Bakhtar and

01:16:07Brett Lee that once again

01:16:08were probably almost

01:16:09going back to the 70s

01:16:10where they've made

01:16:11running in at top pace

01:16:13longish hair

01:16:14snarls on the face

01:16:17short pitch bowling

01:16:18they've made that much

01:16:19more fashionable again

01:16:20there's a lot of kids

01:16:20out there I know now

01:16:21who want to be Brett

01:16:22Lees where maybe

01:16:24five or ten years ago

01:16:25they wanted to be

01:16:26Shane Warne

01:16:26they've got over

01:16:27the Warnie bit I think

01:16:28with the leg spinning

01:16:29and the wronging

01:16:30and dreaming up new

01:16:31balls and mystery balls

01:16:32and all this garbage

01:16:33you know what I mean

01:16:34Warnie's a good player

01:16:35got a great bowler

01:16:35and all that

01:16:36but I mean spin bowling

01:16:37you're never going to

01:16:38get hurt with a spinner

01:16:40bowling at you

01:16:41I mean when I used to

01:16:43when I used to play

01:16:44I couldn't believe my luck

01:16:45when I go out there

01:16:46and somebody bowl a spinner

01:16:47to me

01:16:47happy birthday

01:16:48you know

01:16:49so fast bowlers

01:16:51it's a different

01:16:51kettle of fish

01:16:52you know

01:16:52it's like hopping in

01:16:54a race car

01:16:55compared to hopping

01:16:56in a Morris 1000

01:16:57that was a good one

01:17:03and he couldn't have

01:17:03been that far

01:17:04from his stumps

01:17:05either

01:17:05high-reft

01:17:14high-reft

01:18:15We're right.

Kings of Speed (2003) - Cricket Documentary

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