Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose : Cricket
Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose (born: September 21, 1963) is an Antiguan former cricketer who played 98 Test matches for the West Indies. He had his first proper game representing his village, Swetes, in the national league when he was 21. His Test debut was in April 1988, Guyana against Pakistan. He was the most lethal pace bowler of his generation.
Greatest Sporting Achievements
Ambrose was a fast bowler, taking 405 Test wickets at an average of 20.99 and he topped the ICC Player Rankings for much of his career to be rated the best bowler in the world.
He took a 4-53 during his first Test. During the team’s match in Barbados in 1989-1990, he swept Jack Russel and the rest of the batting aside with the new ball to end up with 8-45. He also got 7 for 1 at the WACA in Australia
He is the fifth bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, achieved at Headingly in 2000.
Why Was He So Good?
Standing 6’7”, a giant of the game in every sense, he was quick, he made unplayable ball lift from a good length he swept through opposition Test sides as rapidly as his teammates like Walsh, Marshall and Patterson would allow. He is allied to his swiftness and precision and it made him a difficult bowler for batsmen to face.
What You May Not Know
- Curtly Ambrose was very reluctant when it came to the media. He had a motto “Curtly talk to no man”. He made his achievements do all the talking.
- When he was younger, he didn’t much like cricket but definitely was a fan of basketball and football. In his autobiography, he said that cricket “was too long and took up a lot of energy so it was never on my list”.
After he retired, he admitted that he didn’t really like watching cricket but follows the fortunes of his team, West Indies. He also pursued a musical career as the bass guitarist in a reggae band. - Curtly Ambrose was knighted by the Antiguan government in 2014.
Related Pages
- More cricket players
- List of Tallest Cricket Players Ever
- Cricket Bowling Tips For Fast Bowlers
- About Cricket
- Athlete Database home
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