There is nothing that thrills a fast bowler more than seeing the stumps flying from behind a batsman, and at the Oval I hit them nine times.
-Michael Holding, Whispering Death
On a perfect but dead wicket, Holding bowled 33 overs at a pace that can never be exceeded for hostility and accuracy.
-Michael Manley, A History of West Indies Cricket
August 12 -17, 2006 will mark 30 years since the greatest display of fast bowling in the history of the game of cricket. It took place during the fifth test, Kensington Oval, London, in 1976, when Michael Anthony Holding single-handedly destroyed England with a match analysis of 14 for 149. It was to mark the beginning of one of the most lethal bowling attacks in the history of he modern game-the combination of Michael Holding and Anderson Montgomery Roberts. According to Michael Manley, "Pace Conquers all." The KC fraternity crowned Michael, " TEMPUS" as he went on to play a leading role in the phenomenal success of West Indies under Clive Lloyd.
1976 was a memorable year. The island was still celebrating Don Quarrie's triumph in the 200 meters at the Montreal Olympics on July 25. Jimmy Carter, the Georgian peanut farmer was campaigning for the 39 th Presidency of the United States .Election fever was in the air- D.K. Duncan was the General of the Streets ; Tony Spaulding Trench Town Rock , Leroy Smart topped the chart with Ballistic Affairs and a little lady with the straw hat rose up in South-West St Andrew. Lest we forget, Marcus Mosiah Garvey's 89th birthday was also August 17.
I t was not by accident that Michael achieved the feat at the Oval. According to the Royce Royce of bowlers, he felt at home. The match was played at South London . It was dubbed the Harlem of Britain, the black heartland/mecca of England with the largest population of West Indians. Cricket Had Come to Brixton just as "Cotton Comes to Harlem ."
The West Indian fans started pouring into the Oval from as early as five o'clock on the early morning of August 12. They had to come from the enclaves of Lewisham, Dulwich, Hernie Hill, Forest Gate, Wimbledon, Shepherd Bush, Birmingham, Manchester, etc. They had come to see their rising stars such as the Master Blaster, Lawrence 'Yagga "Rowe, the 22 year old Michael Holding and Andy Roberts who had taken England by storm that summer.
Before the start, the bleachers were crammed to capacity. The spicy aroma of the Caribbean cuisine permeated the air-curry goat, dahl and roti, chicken pelau, mannish water, blood pudding ,shark meat, labba meat and creek water, stew peas and rice, ackee and salt fish, turn corn meal and fish, Mauby and Red Stripe beer. Then of course. there was the blare of calypso and reggae music from the ghetto blasters: Stalin's 'Piece ah the action;' Kitchner's "Flag Woman," Short shirt's "Yankee Tourist" and excerpts from Bob Marley's newly released album "Rastaman Vibrations." When English wickets started to tumble down, they played "war" and when Holding twice clean bowled Tong Greig, who had earlier threatened to make the West Indians grovel, as well as the aging Balderstone, "Crazy bald head" accompanied them back to the pavilion.
Holding's performance in that 5 th test exceeded all expectations. For the experts, the wicket was docile and flat-nothing in it for the fast bowlers; it would be a batsman's paradise . Writing in " Whispering Death, " Holding said, " It turned out to be the driest, hottest summer of the century. The general feeling was that spin would be the key, and we included Albert Padmore, the off-break bowler, while England had Pat Pocock and Derek Underwood as their spinners. " The experts almost seemed to have gotten it right when the Master Blaster scored 291 and the West Indies declared their first innings at 687, their highest Test score against England, in England. Despite the toiling, the performance of the top bowlers on both sides was nothing to write home about. Holding was the exception, and he filled the void with a bag of wickets- 8 for 92 in the first and 6 for 57 in the second inning
What was the secret of his success? Again Holding gave us an insight in his biography, " I just kept on charging in off my full run and bowling as fast as I could. My rhythm was right, I was accurate and I kept picking up wickets, but I do feel that the matter-of- fact attitude of the more seasoned fast bowlers helped me to impose myself on proceedings."
The West Indies won the test match by 231 runs and Tony Greig groveled.
To view a video of Michael Holding's feat, click on link below:
There is nothing that thrills a fast bowler more than seeing the stumps flying from behind a batsman, and at the Oval I hit them nine times.