Off spin? Easy to bowl and easy to bat against.
Not that effective in some conditions.
Take Dom Bess, for example. In 86 overs in the current Test match between England and Pakistan, he has yet to be called to the bowling crease – not even a token over before an interval.
Yet, the best Test match bowling figures were recorded by off-spinner, Jim Laker, who took 19-90 in 1956. On the recent anniversary of this remarkable feat, footage of some of his wickets was shown.
This also shows an almost embarrassed-looking Laker walking off, prompting the lovely vignette from Lawrence Booth, the Wisden Almanack editor: “And he reacts as if he’s just taken 0 for 100. On the way home that night, he stopped off for a sandwich in a pub, where he watched the highlights on the TV. Sat quietly in the corner. No one bothered him”.
And who is the highest Test wicket-taker with 800 victims? Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, of course, who has held the record since 2007. He was not the first off-spinner to be on top of this list. In 1976, Lance Gibbs overtook Fred Trueman and kept the record for almost six years.
Australian Hugh Trumble was also the leading Test wicket-taker for almost a decade until 1913.
When Nathan Lyon surpassed Trumble’s 141 wickets, he became his country’s leading off-spin wicket-taker. Ever since, he has bowled with confidence and great skill to reach a tally of 390 and been known as the GOAT (greatest of all time). While he has stretched the gap between himself and the next best in terms of total Test wickets, is he really the GOAT among Australian Test spinners?
Who are his challengers?
Ashley Mallett was always highly regarded by Ian Chappell and his 132 wickets were taken at an average of 29.84. At the moment, Lyon’s average sits at 31.58. Indeed, Trumble’s average of 21 matches that of Laker’s but he bowled in a very different era over a century ago.
Mallett’s strike rate (balls bowled per wicket) is higher than Lyon’s, however – 75.6 compared to 62.9.
Also averaging better than Lyon is Ian Johnson, whose 109 wickets were taken at 29.19. The former Test captain’s strike rate was 80.5, however.
Bruce Yardley had a very respectable 126 wickets at an average very close to Lyon’s of 31.63 and a strike rate of 70.7. Even the much-maligned Nathan Hauritz finished with 63 wickets at 34.98 and a strike rate of 66.6.
So, taken just on these measurements, Lyon looks to be rightfully crowned the GOAT…but wait on, there is one more post-war off-spinner to consider. His 68 Test wickets were taken at just 26.15 and his strike rate was 59.2.
(AP Photo/Rui Vieira)
Like Yardley, Colin “Funky” Miller changed from being a medium pace bowler to bowling off-spin. Of course, some of the time in Tests he reverted to medium pace – even in the same over – but most of his Test victims were captured when bowling spin. What an underrated cricketer who fans perhaps remember more for his blue hair and other eccentricities.
He controversially took Shane Warne’s spot in the West Indies for a reason – he could bowl.
So never underestimate the off-spinners. They might not be as glamourous as their leg-spin cousin (Mallett’s ironic nickname was Rowdy, after all), but Lyon isn’t the only contender for the title of GOAT.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Lyon Scorpio, Mallet Cancer.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
What star sign is Lyon and Mallett?
Kevin
Guest
Murali himself has said he can definitely see his record being broken, whether it will be Lyon is unlikely but not totally impossible. He has got better with age but will he still be doing it in the 40s. Aussies will be hoping they have another spinner on the radar come 2028
Rockin'
Guest
GOAT is the greatest #11 batsman of all time, you are mistaken about from where the moniker originated.
Tigerbill44
Roar Guru
Without wanting to undermine Mallet's efforts, I must add that Indian batting at the time was very ordinary. Vishy who made his debut in the 2nd test was possibly their best batsmen.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
What? May better than Yardley? In what universe?
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Alderman and Massie were both pretty good in Anderson's conditions (although they never played a lot of Tests there).
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
I have seen Yardley, Mallet and May all play as well as Lyon and, with the exception of Yardley, I rate them to be at least as good. Lyon's inability to bowl sides out (10 wickets in a match just 3 times in 96 Tests) is an issue, especially when Australia really needed it. I also rate some of the other players on the list above, such as Emburey and Gibbs as better. Just my opinion.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
He may well make a whole generation chuck!
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Pretty compelling...doesn't need advancing.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
In the Mumbai endless cricket games the locals remembered Mallett. I had much fun joining in with their games. They were very knowledgeable on not only Indian and Australian cricket but all countries. When l mentioned my 3 fave Indians were Bedi, Dev and Dravid l became one of them.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Lyon's Roaring 40's?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
And Mallett rarely defaulted to darts giving the ball air as a paramount virtue of his art. He also took a sabbatical or two and had much lesser spinners picked over him; inexplicably.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
And he made me chuck.
JGK
Roar Guru
So, to summarise... He is the GOAT if you exclude: - pace bowlers - wrist spin bowlers - left armed bowlers - pre WWII bowlers - non-Australian bowlers More accurately, we should refer to him as the GRAAFSBPWWTOAT. Not quite as catchy though.
Paul
Roar Guru
I agree but I think you'd see some serious steam coming out DK's ears if a batsmen walked at him or played a ramp shot off his bowling though! There could have been quite a few blokes visiting the casualty ward, if these shots were around in his time
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yeah he lost a lot of effectiveness because he started getting back trouble from 1982 onwards.
Paul
Roar Guru
spot on, but once he lost that yard of pace, he's was way more playable
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I'd say Ian Botham from 1978-81 would also be in the list of England's best.
JGK
Roar Guru
Yep. It’s cost him at least one LBW!