There's no holding back

Fast bowling is a fascination. There is no more exciting aspect of the game. Just think of yourself when checking out the likes of a Brett Lee or a Shaoib Akhtar. I’ll put money on the fact that you are twice as alert as you normally are, just waiting for the unexpected to happen.

One question I often get asked is, “Who is the quickest you ever faced?”

I can tell you I don’t have to think long on that one. I will never forget the day. I was playing for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania. That in itself does not seem out of the ordinary but for one fact. Each team possessed an overseas player of some repute. We had the services of one Joel Garner and they had the great ‘Whispering Death’, Michael Holding himself.

South Australia, who had 9 internationals in their line up, pretty much dominated the 4-day game, until midway through day 3. We were playing in Launceston, which is renowned for it’s very ordinary oft-robust weather. The conditions started off okay but gradually got windier and darker and finally down right unpleasant. The bowlers were assisted by a gale force wind from one end. Joel, being the pro he was, decided to make it easier for our seamers and took on the responsibility of bowling into the gale. He did this remarkably and with Tassie nine wickets down he had snaffled six of them. Number eleven batsman for the home team was none other than Michael Holding. He took guard and ‘Big Bird’, as Joel was affectionately called, came loping in. The first ball Mickey received was a searing bouncer directed perfectly at Holding’s throat at serious pace. After scrambling to avoid being hit by his ‘mate’, the ball struck him a severe blow on the thumb, in front of his nose, and ballooned to gully. Holding caught Haysman bowled Garner first ball. He was pissed. Suddenly blood drained from the faces of the entire batting line up in my team. We had to score 180 to win and we all knew that after that wake up call, ‘Whispering Death’ would be charging in, wind, …..or should I say gale assisted.

What was to follow was straight out of a horror movie.

Andrew Hilditch and Wayne Phillips rather nervously opened the batting. I was going in at number four. In the first over of extreme pace, Andrew was hit on the top of the helmet and the ball went for a one bounce four leg byes. Hilditch swears he didn’t see it. This was repeated in Michael’s second over as well. Wayne got some of the medicine in Holding’s third over when he was struck a fearsome blow on his temple guard. Hilditch was bowled by a thunderbolt in the same over and Phillips retired hurt after another bomb hit him in the helmet again.

This was the moment of truth. Conditions were worsening and visibility was poor, not to mention the fact that Holding was bowling about a million miles per hour.

I didn’t pick up the first ball and heard it thud into the keeper’s gloves before I reacted. This was going to be interesting. I was ducking and diving all over the show and wore some bruises for the next 30 minutes. As it turned out I ended up facing four more overs from Holding, and lived to tell the tale, before I experienced a feeling of remarkable relief. Yep….you guessed it, it started raining….and thankfully continued for the rest of the day.

That was a day I will never forget. A day where there was no Holding back!