Frank Tyson, the former England fast bowler, and renowned as one of the quickest to have ever played the game, has died at the age of 85 in Australia.
Earning the nickname ‘Typhoon’ for his extreme pace, Tyson played 17 Tests for England between 1954 and 1959, taking 76 wickets at an average of 18.56. His demanding action put huge strain on his body and he retired at the age of 30.
One of Tyson’s most memorable performances came in the 1954-55 Ashes in Australia, in which he picked up 28 wickets in five Tests, at an average of 20.82, helping England achieve a 3-1 win and formed a potent new-ball partnership with Brian Statham in the series.
He only managed 1 for 160 in the first Test in Brisbane but finished with 10 wickets in the second Test in Sydney, taking a six-for in the second innings to lead England to a 38-run win, after he had earlier been knocked out by a short ball from Ray Lindwall.
In an interview in 2013, Tyson recalled the Sydney spell. “Ask some of the Australians and they’ll say my fastest spell was Sydney – the match where I was sconed by Ray Lindwall. I was pretty cranky about what had happened and I did bowl fast. But I wouldn’t say that it was the best I’d ever bowled.”
He bettered that with 7 for 27 in the third Test at the MCG, which England won by 128 runs, a spell that Richie Benaud rated as the quickest he had ever seen.
Wisden reported: “The pitch was worn and the experts predicted that England must look to Appleyard, pointing out that the conditions were made for his off spin, and probably they were right, but Tyson and Statham saw England home without Hutton having to look elsewhere for any bowling
“Sheer speed through the air coupled with the chance of a shooter at any moment left the Australian batsmen nonplussed. Tyson blazed through them like a bush fire. In seventy-nine minutes the match was all over, the eight remaining wickets crashing for 36 runs.”
Born in Lancashire, Tyson had initially looked to play for them but he broke down during his one 2nd XI match in 1949 and he subsequently had an eight-year career with Northamptonshire. His first-class career spanned 244 matches between 1952 and 1960, and he finished with 767 wickets.
After his retirement in 1960, Tyson emigrated to Australia where he became headmaster of a school for a time, before coaching Victoria. He was a commentator and a successful writer, penning numerous books on the game. Through a stint with the Mumbai Cricket Association in the 1990s, he also helped groom local bowlers, including former India Test bowlers Abey Kuruvilla and Paras Mhambrey, and had a few more stints with the state association.
