Cricket: Clock turned back over pace claims

By RICHARD BOOCK

For all its gimmickry, the mooted fast bowling competition in India represents another step in the right direction for the New Zealand cricket team - in that they at least have had someone invited this time.

Until Shane Bond exploded on to the scene last summer, New Zealand pace bowlers have not always been at the cutting edge of world cricket, leaving opposition batsmen on the front foot and organisers of fast bowling competitions looking elsewhere.

Bond, whose fastest delivery was measured at 153 km/h this month, is hoping to participate in the shootout in September, following an outstanding trip of the West Indies and an impressive tour of Australia last summer.

It was this effort that tempted your correspondent to suggest that if Bond was not the quickest bowler New Zealand had produced, he was surely the fastest since Gary Bartlett, the slinger from Marlborough who terrorised batsmen during the 1960s.

The assertion, it must be reported, did not gain unanimous support and invited an inquiry from an esteemed predecessor and former Herald cricket writer, D. J. Cameron, whether the memory of Murray Webb had been accidentally overlooked.

For a former Dunedinite, it was an easy rebuke to take. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Webb was a hero of Otago sport, his speed and bounce making Carisbrook a frightening venue for visiting batsmen, as if the rowdy Section 13 crowd was not enough.

Many were the players mocked for attempting to run away from his thunderbolts, and, with all due respect to national women's coach Mike Shrimpton, he is still remembered down south for his ability to dive away to leg.

As for young players, they would be welcomed at clubs with horror stories of Webby's pace, including one from an old stalwart named Les Wilson, whose claim to fame was having his bat knocked clean out of his hands.

For all that, Webby was unable to make the same impact on the international scene and took four wickets in three tests, although it's fair to say the Otago faithful believed he should have received many more opportunities, and were probably right.

Bartlett, on the other hand, was given every chance but in the end had to bow to back-problems and he left the international arena under a throwing cloud, having taken 23 wickets in 10 tests.

Selected as a raw 19-year-old for the first unofficial "test" against Australia in 1960, he was possibly the first genuine fast bowler New Zealand produced, as opposed to the raft of medium-fast seamers such as Jack Cowie, Johnny Hayes, Bob Blair and Tony MacGibbon.

His introduction to the attack late on the second day apparently caused much excitement among the Basin Reserve patrons, because it was probably the first time in history that a New Zealand side had boasted the fastest bowler in either team.

Regarded as one of the six or seven quickest bowlers in the world, Bartlett soon became the target of throwing rumours and, according to Men in White, after the 1960-61 MCC tour Daily Mirror journalist Brian Chapman wrote, "In my view, which is shared by most of the MCC players, he is another chucker".

Although it was a hefty setback, he continued to play as much as his back would allow and in 1968 possibly delivered what was then the fastest spell by a New Zealander, taking six for 38 against India at Christchurch and virtually scaring the opposition off the park.

Another to qualify for the New Zealand fast bowlers Hall of Fame must be Dayle Hadlee, who, during 1969 and the early 70s showed glimpses of outright pace, prompting New Zealand wicket-keeper Barry Milburn to remark that no one had previously hit his gloves as hard.

However, it wasn't long before Dayle, struck down by chronic back problems, was operating as a third seamer and brother Richard had picked up the express baton, announcing himself with seven for 23 against India at Wellington in 1976, and six for 26 against England at the same venue two years later.

Since then many have become obsessed with the principle of the fast-moving object - without managing to reach the velocity achieved 20, 30 even 40 years earlier.

Until Bond, that is.