sir born september cricketer antigua played test matches west_indies fast bowler took test wickets average topped player rankings career rated best bowler world great height feet inches tall allowed ball bounce unusually high delivered allied pace accuracy difficult bowler batsmen face man words career reluctant speak journalists chosen retired entered selected west_indies time panel experts born antigua came cricket relatively late age having preferred basketball youth quickly impression fast bowler progressing regional national teams chosen west_indies immediately successful remained team retirement occasions bowling responsible west_indies winning matches lost particularly association australia took seven wickets conceding single run largely responsible bowling england runs taking wickets runs bowling method relied accuracy conceding runs best performances came took wickets quick succession opposition particularly successful leading batsmen increasingly affected injury times critics claimed longer effective continued wickets regularly retirement effective early matches series final years west_indies team decline relied heavily men bowled little support following retirement pursued career music bass guitarist reggae band early life career born antigua september fourth seven children father carpenter village family background cricket mother fan played youth primarily batsman school performed academically particularly mathematics french apprentice carpenter leaving age briefly considered america time favourite sport basketball occasionally umpired cricket matches particularly tall reached late teens grew inches reach height feet inches time mother encouraged involved cricket success fast bowler cricket match persuaded play club matches age quickly attracted attention coaches progressed john cricket team selected leeward_islands competition took seven seven wickets runs antigua class debut leeward_islands took wickets game failed retain place following year scholarship provided funding play club cricket england highly rated took wickets average following year returned england play central lancashire league took wickets season experiences helped improve bowling technique return antigua practised intensely regained place leeward_islands team absence leading west_indies team main attacking bowler throwing match later attributed confusion caused attribute wrist prior releasing ball extra pace subsequent doubts legality bowling action retaining place international returned took wickets including match bowled matches competition report season said performance dominant heard previously identifying effective delivery noted lost pace accuracy wickets international bowler debut years pakistan toured west_indies played day international series taking place recently retired debut match march kingston jamaica taking wickets ninth deliveries ended innings overs second match took followed wickets west_indies won matches series play fourth fifth game test series followed effective test took west_indies lost home time years noted debut improved subsequent matches finished series seven wickets average runs wicket later year chosen tour england appearing early tour games chosen taking wickets total omitted test series played matches wickets average best figures came fourth test took seven wickets named man match writing commentator described ready replacement garner bounce generated ball pitched constant menace west_indies took tournament took wickets man match west_indies defeated pakistan final west_indies travelled australia series dominant figure west_indies won test series controversial short pitched bowling tactics height difficult play ball bounce writing noted england earlier bowling telling factor advance compensated decline effectiveness test took seven wickets second took wickets test innings time finished game took wickets performances earned man match award games ended series wickets average west_indies leading wicket headed team bowling averages tournament took place tour west_indies defeated australia final took wickets series twice took wickets innings suffering fatigue illness successful later india toured west_indies took wickets test series average county cricketer success england debut english county championship county cricket club club signed season playing west_indies touring team unavailable year took wicket delivery club particularly successful season settled later took class wickets games early england toured west_indies played tests fifth abandoned owing rain visiting team dominated series west_indies eventually won unfit test west_indies lost returned organised replace second test drawn test west_indies won fourth game home captain set win losing early wickets english batsmen entered hour game wickets fall took new ball removed batsmen runs deliveries leg wicket finished figures wickets match west_indies series run win man match took wickets final match finish series wickets finishing west indies averages home described awesome handful series described match winning spell fourth test unforgettable appearances west_indies wickets innings match england took class wickets leeward_islands returned england play took class wickets club bowling averages day cricket county took wickets conceding average runs leading bowler universe series australia england west_indies toured pakistan late topped team bowling averages match series drawn took wickets overshadowed slightly performances played missed pakistan won series best figures tests came final match took australia toured west_indies february took wickets tests average west_indies won series fourth averages observed west_indies attack impression batting west indian lower batting order repeatedly added crucial runs series took important partnerships help team recover difficult situation match scored half century tests took class wickets leeward_islands matches england test series drawn team leading wicket averaging came bowling averages particular impact appearing test cricket time dismissing times seven innings short pitched bowling accurate bowling important series played series slow paced pitches according writing tour improved control point batsman play ball scoring stroke suggests west_indies won series different tactical approach bowling bowler fully fit final test affected outcome describes rise status giant celebrating wicket arms upwards like flock taking air twice took wickets innings best figures test twice took wickets consecutive deliveries named man match test west_indies man series performances named citation remarked consistency stated ability exert psychological influence cluster wickets initial breach arguably essential difference sides proved series west indies wicket keeper said mature years pace accuracy heart determination plus importantly real pride economical figures victory south_africa season west_indies played mainly day cricket taking tournaments took seven wickets including analysis australia took world cup australia new_zealand tournament took seven wickets seven games average seventh economical bowler played game west_indies finished sixth qualifying table failed reach semi finals returned home play twice leeward_islands january april south_africa toured west_indies time played test match years played won west_indies test match time west_indies bowled new playing regulation permitted affect home took overs south_africa began final day match requiring runs win batsmen took wickets runs bowl west_indies run win difficult pitch batting ball bounced concentrated accuracy took second innings named joint man match overs took match returning play effective hampered knee injury necessitated surgery english season suffering dropped catches took class wickets average performance compared team effective day competition won season conceded fewer runs games second tour australia west indies toured australia recovering losing second test win final matches series team won annual world series cup tests hampered pitches suit bowling according writing bowled took test final tests took wickets fourth took wickets including innings second innings took wickets deliveries west_indies won match run according captains teams paid tribute man result possible consolidated reputation world leading bowler day decisive final test took seven wickets cost run deliveries finished figures seven described test cricket devastating spells west_indies won innings named man series having taken wickets equal record australia west indies test series topped west indian bowling averages average described performance instrumental winning series bowling flawless day tournament took wickets took wickets match final games won west_indies final took driven bowl hostility australian batsman asked remove white bowling followed second match named player finals day tournament south_africa west_indies returned home test series pakistan series drawn west indies defeated pakistan tests took wickets fifth team bowling averages report suggested suffering fatigue team busy schedule best continued important wickets second team class bowling averages wickets having developed slower ball took wickets games west_indies won tournament late october november team competed tournament time india later november finished runners took wickets matches immediately following west_indies toured sri_lanka play test rain ruined match took wickets success england returned west_indies took class wickets leeward_islands average appearances islands years england arrived tour west_indies complained fatigue rumours planned retire played times match series taking wickets took wickets test west_indies won described performances time guardian wrote bowled like shadow owing effects continuous cricket ineffective start second test recovered ending match wickets according lee struck critical blows match innings test played trinidad took england innings visiting team built substantial lead west_indies bowled leave england needing win hour bat fourth evening took wickets leave close play morning bowled figures innings match figures named man match lee described collapse judged bowling highest calibre continued delivered devastating spells career called definitive spell fast bowling took wickets fourth test west_indies lost match defeat barbados years fined match referee knocking stumps frustration man took wicket drawn final test finish series wickets west indian bowling averages writing lee summarised performances magnificent named man series taking wickets average apiece winning single handed profound truth west_indies look need wickets carried attack returned play arrived later scheduled claiming need rest missed scheduled flight arrived days late absence contributed elimination preliminary stages cup time members county unhappy performances team committee fined expressed remainder season bowled extremely effectively class wickets club years average national bowling averages according club success wrote rarely history performances personality cricketer dominated season extent missed final match season shoulder problem apparent decline shoulder injury shoulder injury caused bowling workload caused miss tour india months returned join tour new_zealand early reach bowling pace took wicket series test matches remained team australia toured caribbean later west_indies lost test series defeat test series taking wickets took wickets test series lead west indian averages took wickets trinidad test west_indies series having lost test second drawn bowling pitch extremely difficult batting teams considered unsatisfactory took match named man match game pulled away verbal confrontation captain richardson outside match australian team judged bowling declined pace following shoulder injury lacked variety adapt different role cricket manager test bowler publicly claimed series team possessed attitude problems complained fast follow advice tour england followed wicket match series according journalist team lacked confidence following defeat australia lacked rhythm displayed signs frustration effective test series according spell quality bowling affected injury match series withdrew injured test having bowled fewer overs missed fifth test completely team overshadowed final test reached effective form taking innings seven wickets match waving crowd left field final day injury indicate tour england ended series bowling averages wickets according senior players team caused problems management players returned home members team fined cent tour fee case fine general behaviour attitude setting bad example younger team mates senior players rested tour tournament october returned play team tournament australia december january affected refusal tour following fined behaviour tour england team failed qualify final took wickets tournament took wickets consecutive innings game man match west_indies successful world cup india pakistan sri_lanka began february reached semi finals losing australia man match team opening match took wickets competition conceded average runs tournament second best played games march played home series new_zealand match series wickets including opening game took wickets test series average leading team averages took second match english cricket season returned took wickets games lead national bowling averages missed matches recurring injuries contract renewed following year replaced younger overseas player team decline following australia victory west_indies toured australia series heavily publicised match visiting team ineffective continuing trend decline depended heavily senior players began series poorly continuing pattern established preceding series critics suggested longer effective taking wickets tests lost west_indies told team mates wickets difficult pitch batting managed match including hour game despite struggling injury west_indies won named man match missed fourth test injury writing suggested absence possibly affected outcome series australia won easily ensure won series returned final match difficult batting pitch took day west_indies won man match led west_indies bowling averages wickets driving factor wins played tournament tour australia taking wickets later season march india toured west_indies took wickets test series including second test longer home team effective bowler june sri_lanka played test series won west_indies took innings wickets game named man match included wicket test matches 12th bowler fourth west indian reach landmark played west_indies home season taking wickets loss form continued late lost international match tour pakistan played matches tournament taking wicket performance taking wicket test matches played missed match injury prompted writing describe shadow self danger retired series appointed west_indies captain immediately spoke ask continue team england toured west indies january april took wickets bowling averages series pitches tour poor batting effective particularly second fourth tests addition dismissed england captain times series wrote near peak form defied prediction finished tour pakistan second test took wickets conceded runs overs innings bowled spell wickets runs deliveries second complete figures having won second match west_indies lost according power constant feature fluctuating match wickets game including innings took past test wickets trinidad followed wickets west_indies victory fourth test taking final innings wrote arms knees pumping like generate old pace following test series west_indies won played matches series took wickets final years career missed mini world cup tournament october case following damage house caused returned team tour south_africa took wickets series average west_indies lost game match series test match bowled effectively lacked support members attack second test pair lacked support bowled visiting team generally bowled effective took wickets game including second innings ineffective test despite bowling called superb opening spell prevent south_africa building large total attack lacking main pulled attack later innings injury bowl second innings missed final test injury fit play games seven match series won south_africa took wickets march west_indies faced australia home series contrary expectations west_indies drew series outcome series decided small group players including described distinguished time took wickets second averages best figures came fourth final test took innings wickets match match took wickets total described rampant wrote scored survive extraordinary pace bowling played followed april taking wickets following month took world cup england second economical bowler tournament conceding average runs taking seven wickets west_indies went group stages suggested tired judged team outright failures following world cup west indian chose rest alternate tournaments consequently missed series october played series bangladesh tournament competition conceded runs overs sri_lanka second economical bowling figures allocation overs matches took wicket injured elbow forced miss tour new_zealand began december recovered time play domestic cricket taking wickets seven class games toured west_indies returned west_indies team named man match test bowled chasing runs win took wicket second final test wickets matches way series involving pakistan final matches took wickets average conceding runs pakistan subsequently played test series west_indies home series took wickets head west indian bowling averages series match series england announced retire final test president tried persuade continue little longer west_indies lost series reviewing series suggested west indian team emerged series credit ineffective publicly commented series lack support received second averages wickets taking wicket test suggested bowled took wickets second test batsmen beaten deliveries bowled match returned west indies having rested tournament involving england took wickets innings fourth tests passing wickets match took wickets final test match crowd gave standing ovation england players formed guard honour came bat test matches took wickets average according mother bell time took test wicket having retired cricket concentrated music playing bands played bass guitar reggae band fellow band member team mate appointed knight commander government february alongside richardson style technique wrote guardian sort easy repetitive sweat action key accuracy respite qualities peak rely pronounced swing movement ball instead repeatedly bowled areas pitch height delivered ball extremely difficult face ball bounced sharply pitching slightly straight line pitching frequently took edge batsman bat caught wicket citation year states outright pace generates bounce fuller length deliveries height slender wrist contribute greatly final velocity ball wrist snapping forward instant release extra thrust writing following retirement dismissed batsman said best doubt moved fine line separates great good quality essentially need things pace movement accuracy height accuracy bowled difficult batsmen play forward ball instead forced play weight going accuracy meant effective pitch favoured batsmen bowled effective unlike fast short pitched deliveries bowl hostile concentrated bowling length aimed wickets rarely engaged verbal batsmen later years occasionally inspected pitch area close batsman innings began hands suggest enjoy bowling aimed runs possible bowling frequently offered easy delivery score following dismissal batsman celebrated pumping air developed reputation performing best team likely lose took wickets clusters devastated opposition addition effective leading batsmen team capable exploiting techniques batsmen test wickets place 11th list leading test wicket taken test wickets best bowling average eighth best economy rate rises taken wickets included career rated world best bowler player rankings reaching rarely dropped second ranked end career highest rating rankings achieved equal sixth best rating time chosen panel writers experts member time west_indies following year inducted playing days reputation rarely spoke journalists opposition response request interview talks associated career willing talk journalists retired
Curtly Ambrose