Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson
Dennis Lillee (left) with Thomson
Personal information
Full name
Jeffery Robert Thomson
Born (1950-08-16) 16 August 1950 (age 74)
Greenacre, New South Wales, Australia
NicknameThommo, Two-Up
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm fast
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 262)29 December 1972 v Pakistan
Last Test20 August 1985 v England
ODI debut (cap 28)1 January 1975 v England
Last ODI3 June 1985 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1972/73–1973/74New South Wales
1974/75–1985/86Queensland
1981Middlesex
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 51 50 187 88
Runs scored 679 181 2,065 280
Batting average 12.81 7.54 13.58 7.17
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/1 0/0
Top score 49 21 61 21
Balls bowled 10,535 2,696 33,318 4,529
Wickets 200 55 675 107
Bowling average 28.00 35.30 26.46 29.00
5 wickets in innings 8 0 28 1
10 wickets in match 0 0 3 0
Best bowling 6/46 4/67 7/27 7/22
Catches/stumpings 20/– 9/– 61/– 19/–
Medal record
Men's Cricket
Representing  Australia
ICC Cricket World Cup
Runner-up 1975 England
Source: Cricinfo, 4 November 2008

Jeffrey Robert Thomson (born 16 August 1950) is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he is one of the fastest bowlers in the history of cricket; he bowled a delivery with a speed of 160.6 km/h against the West Indies in Perth in 1975, which was the fastest recorded delivery at the time, and the fourth-fastest recorded delivery of all time.[1] He was a part of the Australian squad which finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup.

He was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history. 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".[2]

Another news reporter reported: "Dump a cricket ball in kerosene, light it on fire and launch it out of a cannon and then you'll get something like Jeff Thomson."

He was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2016.[3][4]

  1. ^ Edward, Carl Jr. (9 August 2022). "Top 10 Fastest Bowlers In The History of Cricket". SportsBrowser. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Wisden, 1976 edition: MCC in Australia and New Zealand 1974–75". Content-aus.cricinfo.com. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Australian Cricket Awards | Cricket Australia". Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Jeff Thomson, Wally Grout make cricket's Hall of Fame". ABC News. 24 January 2016. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2016.