Cricket: Did Mitchell Starc really bowl 160kmph?

Mitchell Starc produced some impressive pace on day three at the Waca. Photo / Getty

Craig McMillan has cast doubt on the idea that Mitchell Starc sent down the fastest ball in test history at the Waca yesterday.

Starc whistled a ball at double century-maker Ross Taylor which showed up at 160.4kmph on the screen.

The crowd roared with delight. If correct, it would be the fastest delivery recorded in tests.

However New Zealand batting coach McMillan suspects something was amiss in the speed gun technology.

"I don't know, maybe someone in the truck was having a bit of fun," McMillan said last night.

"But that delivery came out of nowhere and looked pretty similar to a lot of deliveries through the day that were closer to 150 than 160.

"I'm not sure if maybe the wrong button was pushed. But you'd have to ask Rosco (Taylor) whether it felt 10kmph quicker than any other delivery he faced."

McMillan faced Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar at his blistering best in an ODI in Lahore in 2002. Akhtar was credited with a 160-plus delivery.

"It felt more like 180 to be fair. Shoaib at his quickest. No, it just felt like a normal delivery.

"It was different circumstances. I'd have to say I was a bit surprised when
It came up on the TV because a couple of the spinners' deliveries were quite high as well. Maybe there was a technical problem in the truck," McMillan said.

Starc said the delivery "felt really good".

"I was trying to bowl quick. It was just nice to have some rhythm and have the ball coming out nicely."

As for McMillan's comments, Starc drily replied:

"I'm happy for him to face me in the nets tomorrow if he wants."

The other three bowlers clocked in excess of 160kmph - all in ODIs - are Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar (161.3kmph v England at Cape Town in 2003), and Australians Shaun Tait (161.1kmph v England at Lords in 2010) and Brett Lee (161.1kmph v New Zealand at Napier in 2005).