13 Facts about Bruce Reid: The gangling left-arm pace bowler

The art of left-arm pace bowling has been perfected over the years by the newer generation. With its root in the 1980s, Bruce Reid was perhaps the only bowler of his kind. While frequent injuries clouded his career, Reid posed a similarity with all bowlers from the era. Most notably, Reid came into the side when the Australian side was in transition. Although he is famous for breaking the jaw of former Kiwi skipper Martin Crowe, the lesser known facts about him usually go un-noticed. That said, here are 12 rather interesting facts about Bruce Reid, the gangling left-arm pacer.

1. Birth:

Bruce Anthony Reid was born on the 14th of March at Perth, Western Australia.

2. The air up there:

Standing at a mammoth 6 feet and 8 inches, Bruce Reid was as tall as West Indian pacer Joel Garner. Therefore, along with Garner, he became the tallest bowler in the World until the emergence of Mohammad Irfan in 2010.

3. An injury-prone career:

For a bowler bowling at that height, it was fairly common that he would be plagued by injuries. His awkward bowling style added to his woes as he continued to be injured for the most part of Australia’s cricketing season. As Daniel Brettig once said, “Bruce Reid, the mere mention of his name conjures memories and regrets, of a rare Australian pace-bowling talent, apparently cursed by a slender body and a haplessly fragile back.”

4. An effective fast bowler:

Despite his continual injuries, Bruce Reid was an effective pacer for Australia. In addition, he came into the side when Australia was on the verge of a total cricketing meltdown. However, he proved to be Australia’s best bowler a time when he was most needed. Able to straighten the ball into the right-hander as well as slant it away, and with naturally steep bounce, Reid immediately became Australia’s mainstay.

5. The New Zealand connection:

Bruce Reid is the cousin of former New Zealand batsman John Reid.

6. Coaching and mentorship:

Following his retirement, Bruce Reid took to coaching. He served as the bowling coach of the Indian cricket team when they toured Australia in 2003/04. He has also coached the Zimbabwe cricket team previously. He has also mentored Nathan Bracken, the former Australian pacer.

7. Changing of the guard:

Bruce Reid is widely viewed as the change brought the Australian bowling attack. The retirements of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson saw the likes of Bruce Reid, Rodney Hogg and Merv Hughes brought into the side.

8. A career ‘snapped in half’:

Bruce Reid played his final Test match against the West Indies at Melbourne in 1992. It was to be a disappointing end to his career as he was only 29 at the time. For many people, his career was snapped in half as injuries stood in the way of Reid becoming a legend in Test cricket.

9. Most Test balls delivered under the age of 23:

Since the beginning of 1970, Bruce Reid has bowled the third most number of Test balls for Australia, under the age of 23, despite playing just 27 Test matches. He has bowled 1407 (234.3 overs) balls and is behind Craig McDermott and Dennis Lillee.

10. Action like a porn movie without sex:

Greg Baum, an analyst from Australia has said, “His action was described as being “all arms and legs … like a porn movie without the sex.” But his slight frame could not stand up to the rigours of fast bowling.”

11. Comebacks and retirement:

Due to his lanky frame, he sustained a plethora of injuries in his short career. Despite painstaking rehabs, the recurrence of injuries meant that his career was well and truly over.

12. The 1990-91 Ashes series:

Bruce Reid’s best series in terms of wickets taken came in the 1990-91 Ashes series in Australia. Reid took 27 wickets in the first four Tests as the Aussies routed the Brits on home soil 3-0. He, however, missed the fifth Test due to injury. He was awarded the man-of-the-series for his performances.

13. Test debut at Adelaide:

Bruce Reid made his debut against India at Adelaide on the 13^th of December 1985. He made his debut alongside Geoff Marsh and Merv Hughes.