Fast bowlers and fast-medium bowlers both come under the category of pace bowlers. Fast bowlers are the fastest among a big lot of pace bowlers and strive to hit the speed of 145kmph or 90mph consistently, while fast-medium bowlers have an average speed ranging from 130-140kmph or 80-85mp.
Key Takeaways
- Fast Bowlers can bowl faster than Fast Medium Bowlers, exceeding 90 mph.
- Fast Bowlers rely more on speed and swing, while Fast Medium Bowlers use a combination of pace and seam movement.
- Fast Bowlers are more prone to injuries due to the strain on their bodies, while Fast Medium Bowlers can sustain their performance over a longer period.
Fast Bowlers vs Fast Medium Bowlers
A fast bowler is a person who mainly depend on their pace and would consistently hit the ball at 145kmph speed. Fast medium bowlers are bowlers, who do not focus on speed that much, but they do need to hit the right areas on the pitch to get proper swings and seams with variations in speed.
Fast bowlers are arguably the most intimidating category of pace bowlers as they have many options to get the batsman out, but their USP is their extreme pace and sharp bouncers. Generally, fast bowlers have longer run-ups for the generation of speed and to attain rhythm and momentum to hit the speed consistently.
The fast-medium bowlers are no less dangerous as their ball moves a lot and sometimes it swings, sometimes reverse swings, and with the variation in pace, fast-medium bowlers become dangerous. Fast medium bowlers depend more upon the swing, seam position, line and lengths, and also variations in speed, and they have smaller run-ups.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Fast Bowlers | Fast Medium Bowlers |
|---|---|---|
| Average speed | 140-145kmph (90mph) | 130-140kmph (80-85mph) |
| Effective Balls | Bouncer balls, yorkers | In-swing, out-swing, reverse swing, leg-cutters, off-cutters, slower balls |
| Admired skills | Pace with proper line and length | Swing and seam positions with variation in speed and line and length |
| Run-up | Generally, a longer run-up to attain rhythm and momentum to deliver pace | Generally, a smaller run-up and more focus on variations |
| Types | Right-arm fast bowlers, Left-arm fast bowlers with variations as The Doosra. | Right-arm fast-medium bowlers, Left-arm fast-medium bowlers with variations as The Ulta. |
What is Fast Bowlers?
Fast bowlers come under the category of pace bowlers and have an average speed of 145kmph (90mph). Fast bowlers are sometimes fragile, and that’s why they are most prone to injury in the club.
Fast bowlers also require fast-firing fibers that people are naturally born with, and one cannot do anything about it.
Fast bowlers need specific training and coaching, including drills and warm-ups. The exercises like plank, isometric hold, squats, single-leg Romanian deadlift, and chest press are also included in the routine.
Before stepping onto the field, fast bowlers also need proper warm-up and practice bowling sessions.
Fast bowlers also require a good rest and recovery session before and after every game they play because they need to recover the energy which gets drained in the match, which is why team management needs to manage the workload of a fast bowler. Fast bowling is a challenging aspect of cricket because it requires the most strength and stamina.
Fast bowlers also do not go for long spells in bowling.
They are mostly given shorter spells to bowl by the captain, seeing their fitness. Their diet is also one to watch out for that includes more lean proteins, good fat, and fewer carbohydrates.
The fastest ball ever recorded by any bowler is 161.3kmph by the ‘Rawalpindi express’ Shoib Akhtar of Pakistan. Some other legends of fast bowling include past players like Brett Lee and Curtly Ambrose and current players like Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Starc.
What is Fast Medium Bowlers?
Fast medium bowlers also come under the category of pace bowlers and have an average speed of 130-140kmp (80-85mph). Some people get confused between fast-medium bowlers and medium-fast bowlers.
Their names and average speeds differ, but the skill set required is the same, so they are considered the same.
Fast medium bowlers also have various options in their bowling, whether it be swing bowling or seam bowling, or other variations. As compared to fast bowlers, fast-medium bowlers are less prone to injury and are capable of doing longer spells.
But that certainly does not mean that they do not require proper rest and recovery sessions.
They also need the same caliber. Every athlete needs their body to be rested and become fresh for the next game to outperform the opposition.
Fast medium bowlers is that lot of cricket which plays a crucial role, and if not multiple a team at least have one of this kind to make the team balanced because not always, the pace does the work.
Some star Fast medium bowlers of past times were Zaheer Khan, Dale Steyn, and Glenn Mcgrath. And from the current lot, some good fast-medium bowlers are Trent Boult and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar.
Main Differences Between Fast Bowlers and Fast Medium Bowlers
- As the name suggests, fast bowlers have a higher average speed while fast medium bowlers have a decent average pace.
- Fast bowlers have comparatively longer run-ups for the rhythm, and on the other hand, fast medium bowlers have a bit shorter run-ups.
- Fast bowlers tend to consistently hit the appropriate speed with decent line and length, while fast medium bowlers mainly focus on variety in bowling rather than pace. Still, sometimes they also tend to surprise with their pace and slower balls.
- Fast bowlers are more prone to injury than fast-medium bowlers because of speed, fragileness, and strength.
- Fast bowlers bowl shorter spells and bowl at the start of the match and in the death overs mainly. Contrarily, fast-medium bowlers are brought in as first change and bowl mostly after 1st powerplay and in the middle overs.
- Fast bowlers are good at testing the batters with sharp bouncers and yorkers. On the contrary, fast-medium bowlers test the batters with their swing, seam, and variations.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640419608727727
- https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jab/29/1/article-p78.xml
Last Updated : 17 July, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
