Curtly Ambrose - Style and Technique

Style and Technique

Mike Selvey wrote in The Guardian in 1991 that Ambrose had "the sort of easy, repetitive, no-sweat action which is the key to unyielding accuracy. There is no respite and all his other qualities are byproducts." At his peak, Ambrose did not rely on pronounced swing or seam movement of the ball. Instead, he repeatedly bowled into the same areas of the pitch and the height from which he delivered the ball made him extremely difficult to face. The ball bounced sharply after pitching, sometimes deviating slightly from a straight line after pitching on the seam, and frequently took the edge of the batsman's bat to be caught behind the wicket. His 1992 citation as Wisden Cricketer of the Year states that he had "outright pace and he generates a disconcerting, steepling bounce from fuller-length deliveries ... His height and a slender, sinewy wrist contribute greatly to the final velocity, the wrist snapping forward at the instant of release to impart extra thrust". Writing in 2001 following Ambrose's retirement, Michael Atherton, whom Ambrose dismissed more often than any other batsman, said: "At his best, there is no doubt that moved beyond the fine line that separates the great from the very good. Quality bowlers essentially need two of three things: pace, movement and accuracy. Ambrose had all three."

Ambrose's height, and the accuracy with which he bowled, made it difficult for batsmen to play forward to the ball; instead they were forced to play with their weight going back. His accuracy meant that he was effective if the pitch favoured batsmen. He bowled an effective yorker, and unlike other fast bowlers, used short-pitched deliveries sparingly, although he could bowl a hostile bouncer, and concentrated on bowling a full length aimed at the wickets. Ambrose rarely engaged in verbal sparring with batsmen, although in later years he occasionally inspected the pitch in an area close to the batsman before an innings began and rubbed his hands to suggest that he would enjoy bowling there. He always aimed to concede as few runs as possible when bowling, and frequently berated himself when he offered an easy delivery from which to score. Following his dismissal of a batsman, Ambrose often celebrated by pumping the air with his fists. With Courtney Walsh, Ambrose developed a reputation for performing at his best when his team seemed likely to lose, and he often took wickets in clusters which devastated the opposition. In addition, he was often most effective against the leading batsmen on a team; he was also capable of exploiting vulnerabilities in the techniques of other batsmen.

As of 2012, Ambrose's 405 Test wickets place him 11th on the list of leading Test wicket-takers. Of those who have taken over 200 Test wickets, Ambrose has the third best bowling average behind Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner, and has the eighth best economy rate; he rises to third if only those who have taken over 250 wickets are included. For much of his career, Ambrose was rated the world's best bowler in the ICC player rankings, first reaching the top in 1991; he rarely dropped below second and was ranked in the top 10 from 1989 until the end of his career. His highest rating of 912 in the rankings, which he achieved in 1994, is the equal sixth best rating of all time. In 2010, Ambrose was chosen by a panel of writers and experts as a member of ESPNcricinfo's "All-Time XI" for West Indies. The following year, he was inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame. During his playing days, Ambrose had a reputation for reticence, and rarely spoke to journalists or the opposition. His response to a request for an interview in 1991—"Curtly talks to no-one"— became associated with him throughout his career, but he was more willing to talk to journalists after he retired.