Curtly Ambrose - Fast-bowling juggernaut turned reggae musician
On a fine summer’s day in Antigua, when a teenage boy who stood 6 feet 7 inches tall strode down into a cricket ground, the coaches took one look at his height and his brutal face, and declared - “fast bowler”. Though he was more interested in basketball, the teenager agreed and played for Antigua in a domestic competition, taking seven for 67 in the match.
It’s very likely that a small-time journalist then cornered the young man and tried to get a few words out of him. It’s also likely that the boy looked into the journalist’s face and muttered what would be his most famous quote - ‘Curtly talk to no man.’
Born on this day - 21 September - Sir Curtly Ambrose quickly grew up to be the epitome of West Indian cricketers - tall, fast and menacing. His run-up, delivery and follow-through seemed to be one fluid motion, and his scary expressions were enough to make batsmen quake in fear, especially when he seemed to considering where to hit them next.
The greatest of West Indies bowlers all had their trademarks when it came to the tricks of the trade. Charlie Griffith had his yorkers, Andy Roberts had his secret bouncer, Joel Garner could extract awkward bounce, and ‘Whispering Death’ Michael Holding had pure pace.
Ambrose was different - he had them all. He also had consistency, which was the glue that held the rest of his skills together. Forget pace, bounce and seam, Ambrose could pitch all 6 balls of the over on the same spot over and over again until the batsman had to play a shot, which would be his eventual downfall. Ambrose’s skill mixed with his terrifying accuracy made him a demon on the pitch, but few know that he was actually a soft-spoken person and a musician at heart.
All that was never revealed on the pitch though, and as a batsman, watching Ambrose’s shiny white wristbands bounding towards you was one of the scariest experiences of all time.
A surprise entry into cricket
Ambrose has admitted on numerous occasions that he was never fond of cricket as a boy. His sights were firmly on basketball and football though he did umpire a couple of games here and there. He felt that Cricket too long to finish, but on the off chance that he played, he would always give his all.
His mother, who was a fan of the game, persuaded him to take it up seriously, and he agreed. Though he was already 21, he was selected for his local village team.
In his own words, Ambrose’s career “took off like a Concorde”. In just two years, he had gone from playing for his village to playing for his island alongside greats like Ritchie Richardson and Sir Viv Richards.
Two years later, he had been picked to play for West Indies, who already had bowlers like Courtney Walsh and Malcolm Marshall. In his early days, he was often targeted by opposition batsmen, who used to see off the experienced bowlers and would try to score off him. This made him work doubly hard to earn his place in the team.
Ambrose was a fast learner, as England found out in Barbados in 1990. Given a target of 356 runs to win, he took out Rob Bailey and Gladstone Small to leave them reeling at 10-3. But a stubborn partnership between ‘keeper Jack Russell and Robin Smith took England close to the half-way stage, and they were at 166-5, Russell batting brilliantly.
And then all hell broke loose. Ambrose returned to wipe out the English tail as England’s last four batsmen only managed ten runs between them. England collapsed to 191 all out, and Ambrose had taken 8-45 - the second best bowling figures at the Kensington Oval.
Devastating spells and the demon of Perth
Ambrose’s ability to produce match changing spells of fast bowling continued as the West Indies crushed any opponent in their way, thanks to their powerhouse bowling unit. One of his best performances came against South Africa in 1992, again at the Kensington Oval. West Indies had performed under par throughout the match, and South Africa was given a target of 201.
If they managed to overhaul it, it would mean the end of West Indies’ unbeaten run of 22 Test series. A lot was at stake. But with Ambrose there, there was nothing to fear. From a powerful 123-2, they collapsed to 148 all out - Ambrose taking 6 for 34 and Walsh picking up the remaining 4 wickets. In one furious session, South Africa had been decimated and West Indies’ run of 22 unbeaten series became 23.
If there was one bowling spell which could be described as cricket’s most lethal, Ambrose’s against Australia in Perth in 1993 would be a fitting contender. Already known to be a haven for fast bowlers, the Perth pitch did not disappoint as the home team Australia was sent packing in just under two sessions.
But it wasn’t a gradual breakdown of batting, it was a total collapse - akin to dominoes falling on top of one another. In one devastating spell, Ambrose took 7 wickets for 1 run, his figures going from 0-24 to 7-25. The Australians crumbled for 119 and West Indies won the match easily.
Ever the modest man, Ambrose attributed the spell to his fielders, claiming that their slip-catching - which was nothing short of spectacular - gave him the power to continue with the same zeal.
A good spell is always brought on by a sudden spark, an instant of blinding inspiration where everything goes right and the opposition are merely flies in your path. On that day in Perth, Ambrose had his dose.