James Pattinson is fast

James Pattinson is fast.

In fact, he’s by far the fastest bowler I’ve faced.

And that’s not to disrespect Tait, Bollinger, Shane Harwood, Mick Lewis, Ben Edmondson, or Gerard Denton – all of them are fast in their own right, but all of them offer you a little something to prepare yourself against their greatest weapon: air speed.

Tait would amble to the crease and use some freak genetic shoulder turn to hurl the pill at you. It was mighty quick, but such was the amount of body movement, there was plenty of time to find synchronisation of your pre-movement so you could adapt.

As. Seen. Here.

Doug the Rug ran fast, his levers pulled him through the crease faster, and the ball propelled down the wicket like it was being chased by a Lion. When he was on, there weren’t many more damaging. But again, once you aligned the rhythm of your bat tap, pre-movements and head wobbles to the speed at which he threw himself into his work, you could adapt to the pace.

Shane Harwood was different again. He used intimidation through cold eyes and cuss words to push you onto the back foot. His air speed was swift, but it was his bounce that troubled you most. He knew it. And would tell you about it.

Stickers was one of the only guys in domestic cricket that actually made me nervous. And not in a fandom/school-boy crush kind of way. This was fear. I felt he was the only person I’d played against who would be willing to act on his threats of physical violence and pain.

Mick Lewis, Ben Edmondson and Gerard Denton all had a similar kink in their bowling technique that gave you a good look at the ball before it hummed past your face at 150kph. In their load up (movement before delivery stride) they would bring the ball up high and give you a good look at it. It provided a great cue for your inertia breaking movements, and again, once you found that sweet spot, adapting to their pace was manageable.

James Pattinson?

Facing him was the only time – against a non-spinner - I was trying to predict what type of ball was going to be delivered so I could be some chance of making contact with the ball with something that resembled an actual cricket shot.

If you’ve seen the speedometer across all of the bowlers in Australian cricket over the period I’ve just discussed, you’ll know that Pattinson is not near Tait on the speed gun. In fact, there would be a 10kph difference.

So why was Pattinson so fast for me and no doubt a whole host of others? Why was it the only time I’ve had to bat deep in my crease and hope to Colonel Sanders that Pattinson didn’t bowl me a bumper?

Efficiency.

The ease at which Pattinson approaches the crease and the efficiency in his bowling action provide no visual clue as to what is coming your way. It’s all so simple. And so damn fast..

I never had the chance to face Brett Lee, but I’d imagine his smooth approach and ultra-simple technique (ball hitching at the hip) had batsmen feeling like they were facing a bowling machine from which all the normal visible cues – angle of the spinning wheels, feeder letting you know when he/she is putting the ball in the cylinder – were blacked out. FOOOOOOOOMP – the ball is just on you before you can find time for pre-movements and ultimate balance.

Most bowlers offer you something. A deficiency in their technique, a visual cue in their run up – a side step, a jump, a kink, the bursting blood vessel visible on the forehead and extra pace in approach that told you a bouncer was coming– yet Pattinson never deviates, has no jump, kink or blood flow issues. It’s all so fluid and smooth - FOOOOOOOMP, the ball is on you.

The kid is fast. And the other positive to his efficient approach and technique is that it gives him access to a great wrist position for swing and seam.

Add in a Shane Harwood anger problem and you’ve got the complete package for the perfect fast bowler.

7 for 71 off 26 overs in the Shield Final suggest Pattinson is back to his damaging best.

The Ashes.

Starc, Hazelwood, Cummins, Pattinson, Lyon

Who says no?

Tim Paine batting at 6 is a major concern.

But in 5 county games for Nottinghamshire last year, Pattinson took a staggering 32 wickets. And with a fast finishing shield season, where the Duke ball was exclusively used, James Pattinson might just be the most in form Duke bowler in the world.

Smartly, he will return to Notts for a 7-game stint as a lead-in to the Ashes.

For Australia, they might just be the most important 7 games of its Ashes preparation.