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[b]Asked, upon setting foot on Jamaican soil, if he dreaded the home teams pace unit, the “Master Blaster” responded, “Wait until you see my pace.” He had within his ranks, West Indies fast bowlers Winston Benjamin and Eldine Baptiste, alongside George Ferris and Anthony Merrick, who both played county cricket.

But they were nothing compared to Patterson. The big Jamaican knocked over Richardson in both innings and captured Richards' prized scalp in the second. “When Richie Richardson came out [to bat] you could see the fear in his eyes. It's like he wanted to send for a helmet, but didn't because of ego,” remarked Lewis.

Next in line were England, who toured during the 1985-86 season. Graham Gooch was a highly regarded and highly skilled opener for England. This is what he wrote in his autobiography: “At that point, for the first and, I think, only time, I began saying to myself, 'Graham, it might be doing yourself a favour if you get out, this boy Patterson is really firing and it could get very nasty indeed. If you don't watch it you could be hit very badly.' It was the only time I thought I might be hurt at the crease. Now, I found that I was crouching very low, knees really bent, even before Patterson was into his delivery stride. Not a good feeling at all.” Gooch, in the words of John Keats in Ode to a Nightingale, was “half in love with easeful death”.[/b]

In reply to spider

Without a doubt one of the most exciting fast bowlers I have witnessed in my lifetime.

In reply to mikelegend

One of my faves - sheer menacing pace.

Most of WI fast bowlers probably bowled around 80-90mph with averages around the 85-87mph mark with the ability crank it when needed, just like current day rabada, starke, etc

the true express men 95mph plus were rare, patterson, tommo seems like they fell in this category like we see with Wood in the ashes

In reply to spider

Botham rated Patterson as the fastest he ever faced.

Saw Patto live twice but never in a test, saw him as a schoolboy against Dinthill in Headley cup semifinal and against Barbados in 1982 at Chedwin Park. His technique was good then, but he had not yet developed strength.

In reply to mikelegend

Patrick's brother here in Toronto, says that he was much faster than his legendary brother but was plagued with bureaucratic problems.

In reply to Slipfeeler

heard that story from a few Portlanders.

I was there, know what's interesting; Patto bowled a few full length deliveries that Gatting or Smith drove for 4. It was Greenidge not Viv who walked up to him and with wagging finger told him something. He'd already got Tim Robinson caught Greenidge off a good length but just to fast delivery. He went shorter after. I also saw when Macko splattered Gatting's nose in the ODI. Imagine Holding was the fourth bowler Patto the 3rd. Macko n Big Bird opened.

The fastest bowler I have ever seen is Jeff Thompson in 1974 against England. The next fastest I have seen is Mikey Holding in 1976.I particularly remember just before the 2nd test at Lords Holding bowling against the MCC late one Saturday afternoon.
I saw Patrick Patterson in Jamaica in 1986 and the problem there was the pitch so it was very dangerous to batsmen.He was the fastest bowler around then but in my opinion both Thompson and Holding were faster.

I saw him in a minitest(shell shield match)

Garner Marshall Small Haynes Greenidge
Vs
Holding Walsh Patterson Dujon

I didn't know which team to back.

In reply to culpepperboy

was that '83?

In reply to camos

86

In reply to Dukes

How you know when I was there?

In reply to culpepperboy

You were here


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAAHAHAHAHAHA

In reply to spider

Mikey Holding in 1976, 14 wickets on a dead, dead track.

In reply to culpepperboy

In reply to Dukes

Neither Thompson nor Holding were ever faster than Patto….never in a million years
I will take IVA Richards’ word for it….

In reply to Dukes


In '88 on a flat Bourda wicket, I saw Patto woke up that flat wicket...Rameez Raza played a pull shot on one delivery that flew over third man for six...Pakistan was chasing 30'something for victory and Patto let balls fly...that was the quickest bowling I ever see...

Heard some stories about his FC debut against Guyana when he bowled them out for 43 I think...it was said that some of the top order batsmen almost knocked over the square leg umpire...

There was this sad article on Patterson posted here a few years ago. The Indian journalist was upset enough that he set up a gofundme to assist Patterson.

In reply to WestDem

I saw Patto make Richie Richardson(who was one of the best players of pace ever) look like an amateur at Sabina Park..and it had nothing to do with the pitch….


Dujon has kept to Holding and Patto in their primes - Duj rates Patto as the quickest he has kept to by some distance…

Another data point - Tony Cozier who covered the 75/76 series when Thommo was at his quickest rated Patto as the quickest he saw ever…

The fastest bowler is either Patto or Sly Clarke.

In reply to FanAttick

Dujon DID NOT keep to Holding at his fastest which was 1976

In reply to Dukes

Hard to think Michael Holding would be at his fastest at 22 ?

In reply to camos

Thought the fastest bowlers were the ones that benefited from the backfoot rule!

In reply to StumpCam

The quickest I saw was ...Roy Gilchrist.

In reply to Dukes

I suspect you could be wrong. Many times Dujon was 'kept' from keeping for JA pun intended. I also doubt very much Duj kept to Holding at his fastest. Let us forage through the match lists and see

In reply to Brerzerk

Here you go

By the way. - Holding was at his fastest in 1981… Here it is from the horse’s mouth

In reply to FanAttick

80-81 sounds about right.

In reply to camos

I honestly think a fit Ian Bishop was quicker than the lot. But Michael Holding was the quickest as far as sustained accurate deliveries are concerned.

In reply to Raggs

By the age of 26, serious back problems had twice brought a halt to one of the most promising fast-bowling careers. From a long straight hustling run and orthodox side-on action Ian Bishop was fast, showing the sort of pace that makes a crowd gasp as the ball thuds into the gloves of a keeper seemingly in another time-zone.

So said Cricinfo

In reply to Raggs

Bishop’s peak was between 1988-1991(I watched him live and in living color)….he was quick..but not in the league of Patto, Mikey and Marshall….

In reply to FanAttick

In reply to Raggs

The one thing I must say that if not for the back injuries Bishop would have ended his career with a minimum of 500 test wickets

In reply to FanAttick

In reply to FanAttick

In reply to camos

When do you think Dennis Lillee was at his fastest?

In reply to Dukes

between age 26- 29.

In reply to imusic

Was Patto faster than Shoaib?

Shoaib is near universally acknowledged as the fastest bowler to ever play the game.

Other speed merchants in my time….. besides the West Indians

Mitchell forkane Johnson. He was just mean
Mitchell Starc
Waqar Younis
Wasim Akram (not consistently fast……but when he decided to bowl fast, was as quick as anyone)
Harmison
Brett Lee
Dennis Lillee
Allan Donald

In reply to imusic

Never saw Shoaib in flesh on the field,,but I would agree that no one ever bowled faster than him based
on video though that medium can distort.

In reply to imusic

Wouldn't Adam Milne be in that lot?

In reply to imusic

take this for what it’s worth

In reply to FanAttick
Lawrence Rowe recounts Holding at Perth in '79 (Packer) as the fastest spell of bowling he ever saw.
He said the great slip cordon of Lloyd, Greenidge, Viv n himself kept saying Lord if he knicks it let it
go to the keeper!

Can’t remember which match but I will never forget the radio commentator’s words about Patterson who was being hit all over the field by the English batsmen “ the penny has not dropped, the lesson has not been learnt”

I have seen lots of fast bowlers at Kensington oval. Thommo Holding Marshall Fidel Patterson. The fastest bowler I have ever seen was Shaun Taitt. After one spell in the world cup against a minnow the ICC called and said to slow the wickets down because the world cup was being ruined.
In terms of clocked speed Fidel was the fastest of the Windies bowlers

In reply to culpepperboy

Sounds like the '88 encounter

I remember arriving at the Oval (day 1) with what I thought was sufficient time to get in and queue was long long.

Patterson got Greenidge before I could even get in. You could hear the buzz from the crowd as he ran in.

Great stuff