Curtly Ambrose — West Indies' Most Feared Pace Bowler
Curtly Ambrose took 405 Test wickets at 20.99 — one of the greatest bowling averages in history. Learn about the Antiguan giant's career, his legendary 7/1 spell against Australia, and West Indies' great pace tradition.
Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose (born 1963, Antigua) is one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history. Tall at 6ft 7in, Ambrose generated steep bounce from a high release point that made him almost unplayable on pace-friendly surfaces. In 98 Test matches, he took 405 wickets at an average of 20.99 — one of the best averages by a fast bowler in Test history. Alongside Courtney Walsh, Ambrose formed the most feared pace partnership of the 1990s.
7 for 1 against Australia — Perth 1993
Ambrose's most extraordinary spell was his 7/1 in 32 balls against Australia at the WACA, Perth in 1993 — one of the most devastating bowling performances in Test history. Australia were 85/0 and seemingly in control when Ambrose changed ends. He then took 7 wickets for 1 run — Australia collapsed to 119 all out, Ambrose conceding only 1 run in the process. Steve Waugh, who was at the crease during the collapse, described Ambrose in that spell as 'unplayable'. Australia lost the Test. The 7/1 spell is the most famous single spell in West Indies cricket history.
The great West Indies pace tradition
Ambrose was part of a long tradition of West Indies fast bowling excellence that included Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Colin Croft, and Andy Roberts. The West Indies four-pace-attack strategy, used throughout the 1970s and 1980s under captains Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards, created the most dominant bowling attack in Test history. Ambrose and Walsh were the last great expression of this tradition — carrying West Indies competitiveness into the 1990s even as the batting resources available to them diminished.
Teamwork with Courtney Walsh
Ambrose and Courtney Walsh bowled together for West Indies throughout the 1990s, forming one of the great pace partnerships in cricket. Walsh took 519 Test wickets — the most by a West Indian bowler and at the time a world record. The Ambrose-Walsh partnership was central to West Indies competitiveness in a period when their batting was declining. Brian Lara was often the lone batting genius carrying West Indies; Ambrose and Walsh were the dual bowling engines.
Frequently asked questions
What is Curtly Ambrose's Test bowling average?
Curtly Ambrose's Test bowling average is 20.99 — one of the best averages in Test history for a genuine pace bowler. He took 405 wickets in 98 Tests. His average places him in the same company as Malcolm Marshall (20.94) as the most economical sustained fast bowlers in Test cricket history.
What happened in Curtly Ambrose's 7/1 spell?
In 1993 at the WACA in Perth, Ambrose bowled a spell of 7 wickets for 1 run in 32 balls against Australia. Australia had been 85/0 and in control of the first Test when Ambrose struck. He took 7 wickets conceding only a single run — one of the most devastating bowling spells in Test history. Australia were bowled out for 119 and West Indies won the Test.
How tall was Curtly Ambrose?
Curtly Ambrose is 6 feet 7 inches (2.01m) tall — one of the tallest fast bowlers in cricket history. His height gave him a high release point and meant deliveries often rose sharply towards the batter's chin or throat from a good length, making him particularly difficult to play on any surface with pace and bounce.