How New Zealand cricket has changed! The Black Caps are currently playing the World Test Championship Final with a four-pronged pace attack.
Kyle Jamieson, Trent Bolt, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner were selected for the match and their attack must rank as one of the best in Test cricket.
The match has just finished the third day with New Zealand slightly on top, thanks to a reasonable batting reply and five wickets to Kyle Jamieson in the Indian innings. The other wickets were shared around the pace attack.
Although New Zealand has had great pace bowlers in the past and often with a sturdy ally, such as Richard Hadlee with Ewen Chatfield, this would have to be New Zealand’s best attack.
All of the bowlers are quite unique and offer something different to test opposing batsmen. From the lofty heights of Jamieson to the anger and wholehearted approach of Wagner, there is variety. Trent Bolt is one of the best bowlers New Zealand has produced and Southee has been on the scene since he was only 19.
It made me wonder as to the best four prong pace attacks in international cricket. Of course, the first to spring to mind is the West Indian line-up from the 70s and 80s. The Fearsome Foursome of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner terrorised batsmen with their aggressive approach.
A chap by the name of Malcolm Marshall soon replaced Croft and may have been the best of them all. The only similarity between the current Black Caps and the Windies bowling line-ups would be the equal height of Garner and Jamieson at 6 foot 8 inches. On variety alone, maybe the Black Caps are slightly better?
(Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Over time, the foursome were replaced by a twosome, Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. Most countries can proudly announce a dual pace attack with of course, Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis and Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. But it is much harder to find four-pronged pace attacks with availability and pitch conditions contributing factors.
In Australia 2013 against Sri Lanka, Michael Clarke announced a four-prong attack of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Jackson Bird.
I would compare Bolt with Starc and say on consistency and a bigger heart that Bolt is superior. Mitchell Johnson is a fantastic bowler but is really remembered for his Ashes bowling in Perth 2013–14, hard choice between him and Wagner, for a long-term career I would have Wagner.
Pete Siddle versus Southee? Similar bowlers with big hearts so I can only separate them on bowling statistics. Southee 310 wickets to 221 Siddle and Southee probably a superior batsman.
No doubt in my mind that Kyle Jamieson is a superior cricketer to Jackson Bird. So, the Kiwis win that battle.
Neil Wagner (Photo by Jeremy Ng / AFP / Getty Images)
In recent times, Australia have had potential use of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and James Pattinson but correct me if I am wrong, I am not sure if they have played in the same Test together? That is quite a formidable line-up with Cummins leading the way for Australia.
Mitchell Starc on form is a brilliant bowler but I would say all four of the Kiwi bowlers would have bigger hearts, especially Wagner! Hazlewood and Pattinson are both tremendous bowlers but are they superior to their Kiwi counterparts?
South Africa have always had skilled fast bowlers with Allan Donald, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Kagiso Rabada coming to mind. But have they ever had a great four-pronged attack? I believe not.
Pakistan has been blessed with wonderful fast bowlers including Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan and the incomparable Wasim Akram.
Mr Google was sought, and nothing suggests that Pakistan ever had a great four-pronged pace attack in the one match. Plenty of bowlers hunting in pairs however. To have four fast bowlers selected in one team is not going to be a common occurrence.
India has always had a strong reliance on spin bowling but lacked a genuine quick bowler. In their own country they were successful with this method, but overseas they fell short on the bouncier wickets. This all changed in England 2014 when Ishant Sharma took 7 for 74 with fast, intimidating bowling.
Virat Kohli was made captain soon after and sought quality fast bowlers to help win in overseas conditions. Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami followed with these players now featuring as leading fast bowlers.
But has there ever been four genuinely quick Indian bowlers selected for the one Test and who would be better than the current Black Caps quartet? Once again Mr Google helped, with no evidence suggesting this was the case.
Bumrah, Sharma and Shami are India’s pace bowlers in the WTC final, so who will dominate the match? The Black Caps foursome or India’s trio?
If it is the Black Caps who win the match thanks to their bowlers, will they be remembered as one of the best four prong pace attacks seen in Test cricket? Time will tell, hopefully if the rain does not disrupt everything!
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
Well, they did it, the Black Caps, are World Champions! Congratulations on achieving this feat. The four prong pace attack set up the win against India with four wickets to Southee, three to Boult, two to Jamieson and one to Wagner. The old firm of Williamson and Taylor knocked off the required runs in calm fashion after the Black Caps list two early wickets. Well done World Champions!
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Very.
watcher
Guest
As a Kiwi I think it is pointless comparing the Black Caps bowlers with those from other countries. I have a theory why they are so successful and have propelled NZ to great success recently. In years past NZ generally had a core of players who were up to test match standard, 7-9 I would say a lot of the time. As such they worked hard at things they could control, catching and fielding. To be competitive in the games they had to devise batting and bowling plans and stick to them relentlessly. This has become part of the DNA of the team, having a plan and delivering on it. This is not to say that other teams didn't have plans, they did, but they also had full teams of players of test match standard. Sometimes the plan doesn't work like planned, like the first mornings play, but they were able to recover an bowl to the areas they had planned to. As we know this Indian team is fantastic, I just hope we get uninterrupted play from here on. Two confident teams that respect each other.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Absolutely Peter! :thumbup: No one's probably worked harder, and gives their all than Wagner has in cricket. He keeps running in and bowling well all day, and even here in Perth when it was 43 degrees! Even started doing push-ups just to show off! :silly:
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
Your argument for Johnson over Wagner is a sound one. I'll put this to you though, if you wanted a bowler over a long career, who gave it 100% everytime he bowled, was not erratic, would you not be tempted by Wagner?
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
At least these four won't leak two many runs which is crucial in low scoring test, in that sense it will definitely help
Micko
Roar Rookie
BTW huge crowd down at the Freo derby! :thumbup: How dodgy was that goal given to South Freo at 3/4 time?!!! :shocked: :sick:
Micko
Roar Rookie
All true Jeff! :laughing: He’s handy to use in such situations though, isn’t he? :silly: Biased kiwis claiming Wagner should be rated a superior bowler to Johnson based purely on his average and economy rate is silly. Another example I could also use is I could also claim Cummins is superior to Hadlee based purely on his bowling average. What do you think old kiwi mates Targa & Brian would think of THAT one?!! :stoked:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Poor old Adam Voges. Assigned to the “always compared to / was he wasn’t he” bin of history. — :laughing: — He waited a long time to get selected for Australia and did what he needed to do, once he was. — Scored 119 and 239 within 3 Tests against a side – New Zealand – being lauded 6 years later as thoroughly deserving of being the Test champion. __ If only he had averaged 10 runs less in his Test career – which didn’t start until the ripe old age of 35 – he would not be the subject of such focus!
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
The hairiest mulletiest prong of all
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Johnson when on song was the most fearsome and frightening. He just had some technical hiccups along the way that seriously derailed his outputs for periods of time.
Carlin
Roar Rookie
Philander was very good with his line and length.
Micko
Roar Rookie
There's a lot to admire about Wagner though. He's tough as nails, and bowls all day in any conditions. He's at the batsman constantly, and is innovative with his short ball bodyline 2.0 style bowling, which is difficult for even the best batsmen to deal with, like we saw with Steve Smith. The best bowlers can singlehandedly destroy a batting lineup though. In my opinion the best from NZ in this regard are Hadlee, Bond, Boult, and I would even put Kyle Jamieson above Wagner already. What Wagner is is a great support bowler, who'd come in as a third or fourth seamer. Hence why NZ is doing so well at the moment, with such depth in bowling and batting. The missing piece for NZ is a quality spin bowler, which Patel seems to be. So that might complete the jigsaw for NZ's test side. And as an aussie I'm a bit concerned, as you've probably got the team to beat us at home & away now. :shocked:
Micko
Roar Rookie
At this point in time he is certainly better than Boult, who is clearly past his prime. I rate Southee better than Boult these days, when Boult was clearly far superior to both Southee and Wagner at his peak. At his peak, Boult could genuinely destroy a batting lineup, which Wagner has never really had the talent to do. So no, I don’t think he’s better than Boult at his best, and certainly not better than Johnson. I’d put him ahead of Starc though, who disappoints far too often when not in ideal bowling conditions. So certainly not the best left armer since Akram, as Johnson and Boult are clearly better in my opinion.
Targa
Roar Rookie
Wagner is better than Boult who relies on the new ball and good bowling conditions. Wags is the best left armer since Wasim Akram.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
" When asked why he had been caught with dirt in his pocket, he now claimed that it had been specifically to dry his sweaty hands."... Espn Cric info... Never heard of a towel? :shocked:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Dirt specifically. Got a slap on the wrist.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Didn't Atherton have sand on his pocket too..?
Micko
Roar Rookie
Probably Philander over Ntini. With those four they were virtually unbeatable, and were comfortably beating Australia in Australia, something South Africa previously hadn't done.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Looking forward to seeing Nortje & Mulder bowl.