Dennis Lillee
The outstanding fast bowler of his generation, Lillee redefined pace bowling and became a world record holder.
Dennis Keith Lillee (born 18 July 1949) is a retired Australian cricketer rated as the 'outstanding fast bowler of his generation'. He formed a new ball partnership with Jeff Thomson, recognised as one of the greatest bowling pairs of all time. Lillee was a part of the Australian squad which finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup. In a fan poll conducted by the CA in 2017, he was named in the country's best Ashes XI of the previous 40 years. On 17 December 2009, Lillee was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
- Role
- Right-arm Fast Bowler
- Affiliation
- Australia National Cricket Team
- Debut Era
- 1970s
- Test Wickets
- 355
- ODI Wickets
- 128
- Status
- Retired Legend
Lore & Background
Lillee made his first-class debut for Western Australia in 1969–70. He made his Test debut in the 1970–71 Ashes series. After stress fractures in his back, he returned to Test cricket in 1974–75 and was paired with Jeff Thomson. Lillee took 355 Test wickets, a world record at his retirement in 1984. He was a key figure in World Series Cricket. He is the subject of the song 'Water Lillee' on Lord Kitchener's 1976 album Home for Carnival.
In Their Own Story
The Australian summer heat hung heavy over the MCG as Dennis Lillee wound himself up, the white of his pads stark against the green grass. With a deep breath, he began his run-up, a thunderous charge that seemed to shrink the distance between the crease and the wicket. The ball left his hand with a searing velocity, rising sharply from the pitch as if defying gravity itself. The batsman, eyes wide in anticipation of the impact, could only watch helplessly as the delivery crashed into the stumps, sending splinters flying.
Reader's Guide
Lillee was an extremely fast bowler early in his career, but after back injuries he remodelled his action and cut down his pace, concentrating on moving the ball off the seam. He was known for his aggressive bowling and outspoken opinions. He never captained Australia in Test or ODI cricket.
Did You Know?
- Lillee took 8/29 against a Rest of the World XI in Perth, which Garry Sobers called the fastest spell he ever faced.
- Geoff Arnold of England took the first five-wicket haul in ODIs in 1973.
- Lillee was banned from international cricket in 1971 for a year due to a dispute over his contract with the Australian Cricket Board, not for an illegal bowling action.
- He achieved the number 1 ranking in ICC Test Bowling Rankings for the year 1981.
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