Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell has compared New Zealand’s pace quartet of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, and Kyle Jamieson to the West Indies quartets of yesteryear. He also added that New Zealand’s four take the prize if we only assessed them on the basis of results.
The world has been raving about New Zealand’s pace attack ever since the World Test Championship final against India, where they struck gold. Not that the mighty four from New Zealand – Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, and Kyle Jamieson – were underrated earlier but the WTC title has added the glory of a trophy that remains etched forever.
Whenever great bowling attacks in cricket history are discussed, the Windies bowling attacks from the 1970s to 1990s spring to the mind. In what comes across as lavishing praise for the Kiwi quartet, renowned cricket expert Ian Chappell lauded the New Zealand attack and even compared them to the great Windies attacks from the yesteryear.
“New Zealand’s pace quartet – Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, and Kyle Jamieson – made possible their presence in the final. Then in the prolonged battle with India for supremacy, the quick bowlers led the last-day victory charge. Such was the influence of the New Zealand attack that there was even a comparison with the formidable West Indies quartets that ruled from the late-1970s to the mid-1990s,” Chappell wrote in a column on ESPNCricinfo.
“To my mind, the best combination from those fearsome quartets was Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Joel Garner.
He further added that talking purely about pace, West Indies bowlers were better, but in terms of results, he reckons the New Zealand pacers take the prize.
“If it’s the pace you’re talking about, the West Indies quartet wins hands down,” Chappell wrote.
“However, if you look purely at results, the New Zealand four take the prize – five matches together for a 100% winning record. That West Indies combination only played together in six matches and while never beaten, they were held to three draws,” he signed off.