Having just watched two of the best fast bowlers going around today (Steyn & Johnson) intimidate some of the best batsman around today, it does remind me just how important a genuine fast bowler is to winning a game of cricket.
Having pace is one thing, but how you use it is the most important thing of all.
This got me to thinking about just how many batsmen have been seriously injured by these express machines.
My first memory of any player being hit was Terry Jenner being decked by a John Snow bouncer in 70/71 Ashes.
Every Australian would have watched footage of Oldfield being hit in the face by a Larwood delivery during the Bodyline series.
After doing some research, The earliest Incident I found dated back to 1870 in Notts. Vs MCC game. George Summers was The Nott batsmen who was struck in the head by MCC fast bowler John Platts.
The next batsmen came to the crease with a towel wrapped around his head for protection. Summers died 4 days later.
New Zealander Ewen Chatfield was hit in the temple by Englishman Peter Lever. He hit the ground convulsing and swallowed his tongue, and was brought back to life by heart massage and mouth to mouth resuscitation. The distressed Lever thought he had killed him.
Some of the other batsmen felled by pace are Justin Langer KO’d by Makya Ntini in 2006, Mike Gatting had his nose smashed across his face by Malcolm Marshall in 1986 (They found bits of his nose embedded in the ball), David Hookes received a broken jaw by Andy Roberts in WSC in 77/78 which brought about the use of helmets in a big way.
Rick McCosker in the 1977 Centenary Test got a broken jaw from a Bob Willis bouncer. The ultimate in courage was when he came out to bat in the second innings with his jaw wired shut and covered in bandages.
Playing express bowling does require reflexes, good footwork, great hand–eye co-ordination and most of all real courage.
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