18 Facts about Jeff Thomson: The fastest there ever was

When Jeff Thomson entered the scene of cricket, little did he know he would become one of the hitmen of the Australian side for the better part of a decade. The time he played for Australia coincided with Australia returning to the top of the world ranking and the famous ‘Chappell Era’. However, in spite of his career being cut short by quite a margin, everyone remembers the fearsome pace of Thommo. That said, we take a quick look at some interesting facts about Jeff Thomson on his birthday.

1. The Bush in New South Wales:

Jeffrey Robert Thomson was born on the 16th of August 1950 in Greenacre, Sydney, New South Wales.

2. ‘Thommo’ the bullet train:

With a boomerang of an action, Jeff Thomson was perhaps the first slinger to make it to the fore before Lasith Malinga. In 1975, during an exhibition match against the West Indies, Jeff Thomson’s speed was recorded using high-speed cameras. The cameras clocked a speed of 160.45 km/h. He was subsequently measured for speeds in 1976 and clocked higher.

3. Partnership with Dennis Lillee:

Commenting on their bowling during the 1974–75 season, Wisden wrote: “… it was easy to believe they were the fastest pair ever to have coincided in a cricket team”.

4. Saving the Test with Allan Border:

The fourth Test of the 1982-83 Ashes Test series played in Melbourne is something that will always be remembered as perhaps one of the greatest Test matches of all time. In the final session of Day 4, England needed just one wicket to win the match. However, Jeff Thomson and Allan Border batted for the entire session, unwilling to give away their wickets. However, at the end of the day, the Aussies needed just 30 odd runs to win. However, with just four runs to win, Thommo was dismissed by Ian Botham, thus gifting England a 3-run win.

5. Tony Greig’s blocks:

The 1975 Ashes Test series saw Mike Denness’ side make the trip down to Australia. Although they were absolutely ripped apart by Lillee and Thommo, Tony Grieg had a way of getting into their heads. They spent the better part of an entire session trying to injure Greig rather than get him out.

6. Good morning, my name is Cowdrey:

England was called ‘Dad’s Army’ when they called 42-year old Colin Cowdrey to come in and do battle with the likes of Lillee, Walker, and of course, Thommo. Bowling to Denness, one of Thommo’s bouncers ripped from the surface and smashed into the sight screen on the first bounce. Colin Cowdrey, who witnessed the ball first said to Thommo on the way back to the latter’s bowling mark: ‘Good morning, my name is Cowdrey’. Needless to say, this did little to save Cowdrey as he was rendered with blow after blow on the body.

7. David Lloyd’s appendage:

If anyone was interested in knowing the impact of Thommo’s pace, it can be found in David Lloyd’s broken ‘appendage’ protector. As Lloyd described it, he wore a soap holder as a protector. A ball at 95 mph clattered into Lloyd’s groin, shattering the protector into a couple of pieces. This is generally used by Lloyd during his frolicking commentary antics.

8. The Javelin thrower:

The action of Jeff Thomson did not have a jump in the run-up, which meant that he was able to generate additional pace. As Richie Benaud would go on to describe the action, it was similar to that of a javelin thrower.

9. The discovery of the helmet:

Many states that the helmet was discovered during World Series Cricket to protect the World XI batsmen from the fearsome pace of Jeff Thomson.

10. Hammering the Poms in 1975:

The 1974-75 Ashes series saw the Poms take a hammering at the hands of Australia when they lost the 6-match Test series 4-1. Jeff Thomson concluded with 33 wickets in the series.

11. If Thomson doesn’t get ya, Lillee must:

The 1975/76 Ashes series had a strange theme to it. In a bid to strike fear into the ‘Poms’, the advertisers made a slogan ‘Ashes to Ashes dust to dust if Thommo doesn’t get ya, Lillee must’.

12. Sir Thommo:

John Benaud, the sibling of Richie Benaud once described Thommo bowling: “So Thommo begins – the high-stepping gait of a thoroughbred, bowling hand bobbing at waist level and the ball visible. It is conventional and comforting because facing a strange bowler for the first time invariably generates edginess. Then, in the split second before delivery, at gather, Thommo drags one leg behind the other in a sort of Swan Lake crossover, sways back and hides the ball behind his right knee – unconventional and very unsettling.”

13. The games that people play:

Lawrence Rowe, as described by Sir Viv Richards as one of the ‘coolest individuals’ in cricket was perhaps the most fearful of Thommo’s pace. When he faced Thommo, Rowe never whistled the song, ‘the games that people play’.

14. The ICC’s Hall of Fame:

On January 27th, 2016 Jeff was inducted into the Australian hall of fame.

15. The Gooch scalp:

Graham Gooch was Jeff Thomson’s 200th wicket in Test cricket.

16. Hunting wild boars in the bush:

Thomson’s fitness was a well-documented one. The television at the time captured Thommo’s fitness regime where he would run after wild pigs in the bush and catch them with his bare hands. This video was used to strike fear into his opponents.

17. There will be blood:

In a TV commercial in the buildup to the 1975 Ashes series, Jeff Thomson was quoted saying in an interview that he wanted to see blood on the pitch caused by his bowling.

18. The battered sight-screen:

One batsman has described a bouncer from Jeff Thomson reaching the boundary board on the first bounce. One can only imagine the number of sight screens that would have been decimated by five ounces of the cricket ball when released by Jeff Thomson.