Curtly Ambrose was the greatest bowler of the 1990s, without any question. He took over 400 wickets. He reduced England to a
smoking ruin on countless occasions, including one
classic where England were all out for
46. Yes, 46.
When Ambrose was on the pitch, all 6'8" of him, England, or any other team for that matter, were never safe . When he jumped up to bowl, arm out-stretched and then hurled it down the wicket, the ball left his hand at an estimated height of 10ft. He and his opening partner and captain Courtney Walsh toke 888 wickets between them. I can't begin to describe the terror he inspired. Consitent line and length and pace- always around 90 mph -ground down batsmen until they got out because the skill of the bowler was too great, or because something deeper, like self-preservation had taken over. When he hit the stumps, the bails went for four. Dammit, he broke the stumps. This guy's just a raging bull, he's.. untouchable.
Update 13/6/02:
Here are the full cricketing statistics for his interantional career:
Mat Runs HS BatAv 100 50 W BB BowlAv 5w Ct St
overall 98 1439 53 12.40 0 1 405 8/45 20.99 22 18 0
v Australia 27 385 53 10.69 0 1 128 7/25 21.23 8 5 0
v England 34 509 44 13.05 0 0 164 8/45 18.79 8 7 0
v India 9 179 37 22.37 0 0 15 5/87 38.26 1 2 0
v New Zealand 4 68 33 22.66 0 0 13 5/68 21.30 1 1 0
v Pakistan 14 159 30 8.83 0 0 42 5/35 27.85 1 1 0
v South Africa 5 68 19 9.71 0 0 21 6/34 18.57 2 1 0
v Sri Lanka 3 56 31 28.00 0 0 14 5/37 13.57 1 0 0
v Zimbabwe 2 15 7 5.00 0 0 8 4/42 12.50 0 1 0
in Australia 14 192 44 10.10 0 0 78 7/25 19.79 6 4 0
in England 20 284 43 12.90 0 0 88 6/52 20.77 3 3 0
in New Zealand 2 33 33 33.00 0 0 5 3/57 22.60 0 1 0
in Pakistan 5 58 30 7.25 0 0 15 5/35 25.20 1 0 0
in South Africa 4 56 19 9.33 0 0 13 6/51 23.76 1 0 0
in Sri Lanka 1 7 7* - 0 0 3 3/14 9.00 0 0 0
in West Indies 52 809 53 13.48 0 1 203 8/45 21.19 11 10 0
in Africa 4 56 19 9.33 0 0 13 6/51 23.76 1 0 0
in Americas 52 809 53 13.48 0 1 203 8/45 21.19 11 10 0
in Asia 6 65 30 8.12 0 0 18 5/35 22.50 1 0 0
in Europe 20 284 43 12.90 0 0 88 6/52 20.77 3 3 0
in Oceania 16 225 44 11.25 0 0 83 7/25 19.96 6 5 0
home 52 809 53 13.48 0 1 203 8/45 21.19 11 10 0
away 46 630 44 11.25 0 0 202 7/25 20.78 11 8 0
1988 (age: 24y 102d) 11 213 44 17.75 0 0 49 5/72 23.20 1 2 0
1989 (25y 102d) 6 68 16 9.71 0 0 11 3/66 45.81 0 2 0
1990 (26y 102d) 6 68 20* 7.55 0 0 34 8/45 16.05 2 1 0
1991 (27y 102d) 10 152 53 11.69 0 1 46 6/52 22.89 2 1 0
1992 (28y 102d) 3 33 7 8.25 0 0 20 6/34 16.35 2 1 0
1993 (29y 102d) 7 55 16 9.16 0 0 33 7/25 16.09 2 2 0
1994 (30y 102d) 5 91 44 15.16 0 0 26 6/24 19.96 2 1 0
1995 (31y 102d) 11 135 33 15.00 0 0 39 5/45 22.48 2 3 0
1996 (32y 102d) 5 59 21* 8.42 0 0 20 5/55 25.75 2 0 0
1997 (33y 102d) 10 231 37 23.10 0 0 29 5/37 24.00 3 1 0
1998 (34y 102d) 9 116 31 9.66 0 0 42 6/51 16.38 3 2 0
1999 (35y 102d) 5 76 28* 10.85 0 0 20 5/94 23.60 1 0 0
2000 (36y 102d) 10 142 36* 10.14 0 0 36 4/30 17.66 0 2 0
season 1987/88 3 47 25* 11.75 0 0 7 2/64 52.14 0 0 0
season 1988 5 75 43 18.75 0 0 22 4/53 20.22 0 0 0
season 1988/89 9 159 44 14.45 0 0 31 5/72 26.80 1 4 0
season 1989/90 3 51 20* 12.75 0 0 20 8/45 15.35 1 1 0
season 1990/91 8 132 53 12.00 0 1 32 5/35 22.87 1 1 0
season 1991 5 37 17 5.28 0 0 28 6/52 20.00 2 0 0
season 1991/92 1 12 6* 12.00 0 0 8 6/34 10.12 1 1 0
season 1992/93 8 69 16 7.66 0 0 42 7/25 17.85 3 2 0
season 1993/94 6 98 44 16.33 0 0 29 6/24 18.82 2 1 0
season 1994/95 6 58 33 9.66 0 0 18 5/45 20.61 1 1 0
season 1995 5 77 23* 25.66 0 0 21 5/96 24.09 1 2 0
season 1995/96 2 35 21* 17.50 0 0 8 5/68 20.50 1 0 0
season 1996/97 11 214 37 17.83 0 0 40 5/37 22.70 4 1 0
season 1997/98 8 124 31 12.40 0 0 31 5/25 18.29 2 2 0
season 1998/99 8 109 28* 9.08 0 0 32 6/51 22.87 2 0 0
season 1999/00 5 47 22 7.83 0 0 19 4/42 16.78 0 1 0
season 2000 5 95 36* 11.87 0 0 17 4/30 18.64 0 1 0
toss won 47 677 53 11.67 0 1 176 6/24 22.30 9 9 0
toss lost 51 762 44 13.13 0 0 229 8/45 19.98 13 9 0
toss won & batted 24 306 36* 9.87 0 0 80 6/24 22.92 5 5 0
toss won & fielded 23 371 53 13.74 0 1 96 6/51 21.78 4 4 0
toss lost & sent in 18 368 44 14.15 0 0 83 8/45 17.48 5 4 0
toss lost & fielded 33 394 43 12.31 0 0 146 7/25 21.40 8 5 0
matches batting 1st 42 674 44 11.82 0 0 163 8/45 20.15 10 9 0
matches fielding 1st 56 765 53 12.96 0 1 242 7/25 21.55 12 9 0
1st team innings 98 1050 53 14.58 0 1 243 7/25 21.79 15 10 0
2nd team innings 93 389 36* 8.84 0 0 162 8/45 19.77 7 8 0
1st match innings 98 434 44 14.46 0 0 140 7/25 21.22 8 5 0
2nd match innings 97 616 53 14.66 0 1 103 6/74 22.57 7 5 0
3rd match innings 93 240 36* 8.57 0 0 104 6/51 21.80 4 5 0
4th match innings 70 149 28 9.31 0 0 58 8/45 16.13 3 3 0
no follow-on 95 1427 53 12.51 0 1 397 8/45 20.71 22 17 0
enforcing a follow-on 2 12 12* - 0 0 5 2/42 29.20 0 1 0
in team following on 1 0 0 0.00 0 0 3 3/83 43.66 0 0 0
matches won 44 588 44 12.51 0 0 229 8/45 16.86 13 12 0
matches drawn 28 488 53 18.76 0 1 81 5/35 26.02 5 3 0
matches lost 26 363 44 8.44 0 0 95 6/51 26.63 4 3 0
won by an innings 8 76 22 25.33 0 0 37 7/25 15.21 1 2 0
won defending target 13 254 44 11.54 0 0 84 8/45 13.45 6 4 0
won chasing target 23 258 31 11.72 0 0 108 5/37 20.09 6 6 0
lost by an innings 4 53 30 8.83 0 0 6 4/42 42.83 0 0 0
lost defending targ. 12 219 44 9.95 0 0 57 6/51 24.15 3 1 0
lost chasing target 10 91 25* 6.06 0 0 32 5/25 28.00 1 2 0
5 day matches 98 1439 53 12.40 0 1 405 8/45 20.99 22 18 0
1st/Only Tests 26 364 43 13.00 0 0 94 6/34 20.80 4 4 0
2nd Tests 24 324 31 10.45 0 0 95 6/51 23.46 5 3 0
3rd Tests 20 393 53 14.55 0 1 93 6/24 18.01 7 3 0
4th Tests 15 217 44 10.85 0 0 66 8/45 20.48 3 3 0
5th Tests 11 117 28 11.70 0 0 45 7/25 23.64 2 5 0
6th Tests 2 24 19* - 0 0 12 5/96 18.75 1 0 0
in series won 58 945 53 15.00 0 1 250 8/45 19.65 13 14 0
in series drawn 21 238 28* 9.52 0 0 92 6/52 23.04 5 2 0
in series lost 19 256 36* 9.14 0 0 63 6/51 23.28 4 2 0