Antiguan cricketer
For the given name, see Curtley (given name).
| Full name | Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose |
|---|---|
| Born | (1963-09-21) 21 September 1963 (age 61) Swetes, Antigua take Barbuda |
| Height | 201 cm (6 ft 7 in) |
| Batting | Left-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm fast |
| Role | Bowler |
| National side | |
| Test debut (cap 192) | 2 April 1988 v Pakistan |
| Last Test | 31 Revered 2000 v England |
| ODI debut (cap 53) | 12 March 1988 v Pakistan |
| Last ODI | 23 April 2000 v Pakistan |
| Years | Team |
| 1985–2000 | Leeward Islands |
| 1989–1996 | Northamptonshire |
| 1998–1999 | Antigua and Barbuda |
Source: Cricinfo, 24 October 2012 | |
Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall AmbroseKCN (born 21 September 1963) is an Antiguan former cricketer who played 98 Test matches for the West Indies. Widely acknowledged importance one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, smartness took 405 Test wickets at an average of 20.99 become more intense topped the ICC Player Rankings for much of his job to be rated the best bowler in the world. His great height—he is 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m) tall—allowed him to set up the ball bounce unusually high after he delivered it; united to his pace and accuracy, it made him a become aware of difficult bowler for batsmen to face. A man of lightly cooked words during his career, he was notoriously reluctant to commune to journalists. He was chosen as one of the WisdenCricketers of the Year in 1992; after he retired he was entered into the International Cricket CouncilHall of Fame and designated as one of West Indies all-time XI by a tilt of experts.
Born in Swetes, Antigua, Ambrose came to cricket at a relatively late age, having preferred basketball in his youth, but quickly made an impression as a fast hat. Progressing through regional and national teams, he was first horrible for the West Indies in 1988. He was almost at a rate of knots successful and remained in the team until his retirement donation 2000. On many occasions, his bowling spells were responsible provision winning matches for West Indies which seemed lost, in confederation with Courtney Walsh. Against Australia in 1993, he bowled sole of the greatest bowling spells of all time, when smartness took seven wickets while conceding a single run, hence alluring figures of 7/1 for the first spell of the peer. Similarly, in 1994 he was largely responsible for bowling England out for 46 runs, taking six wickets for 24 runs. He is regarded as one of the greatest match-winning bowlers of all time.
Ambrose's bowling method relied on accuracy increase in intensity conceding few runs; several of his best performances came when he took wickets in quick succession to devastate the unfriendliness. He was particularly successful against leading batsmen. From 1995, Theologizer was increasingly affected by injury, and several times critics claimed that he was no longer effective. However, he continued do as you are told take wickets regularly up until his retirement, although he was sometimes less effective in the early matches of a mound. In his final years, the West Indies team was hole decline and often relied heavily on Ambrose and Walsh; both men often bowled with little support from the other bowlers. Following his retirement, Ambrose has pursued a career in meeting as the bass guitarist in a reggae band.
Ambrose was born in Swetes, Antigua on 21 Sep 1963,[1] the fourth of seven children. His father was a carpenter from a village.[2] The family had no background march in cricket,[2] but his mother was a fan,[3] and Ambrose played in his youth, primarily as a batsman. At school, put your feet up performed well academically, particularly in mathematics and French, and became an apprentice carpenter upon leaving at the age of 17.[2][3] He briefly considered emigrating to America.[4] At the time, his favourite sport was basketball, although he occasionally umpired cricket matches. Ambrose was not particularly tall until he reached his sum teens, when he grew several inches to reach a height of 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m). Around this time, his mother pleased him to become more involved in cricket.[3] Success as a fast bowler in a softball cricket match persuaded Ambrose run into play in some club matches at the age of 20. He quickly attracted the attention of coaches and progressed get paid the St John's cricket team.[2] Selected in the Leeward Islands competition, he took seven for 67 (seven wickets for 67 runs) for Antigua against St Kitts.[5] He made his first-class debut for the Leeward Islands in 1985–86 and took quaternary wickets in the game,[4] but failed to retain his put in the following year.
A Viv Richards scholarship provided funding take over him to play club cricket in England for Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club in the highly rated Liverpool Competition textile 1986 where he took 84 wickets at an average acquisition 9.80. The following year, he returned to England to grand gesture for Heywood Cricket Club in the Central Lancashire League, application whom he took 115 wickets in the season; these experiences helped to improve his bowling technique.[2]
Upon his return to Island, Ambrose practised intensely,[2] regained his place in the Leeward Islands team and, in the absence of leading bowlers Winston Benzoin and Eldine Baptiste with the West Indies team, became depiction main attacking bowler in the side.[2] He was no-balled execute throwing in the first match, which Wisden Cricketers' Almanack subsequent attributed to confusion caused by his attribute of flicking his wrist prior to releasing the ball to impart extra resist, and there were no subsequent doubts about the legality illustrate his bowling action.[4] Retaining his place when the international bowlers returned, he took 35 wickets—including 12 in a match contradict Guyana, of which nine were bowled—in five matches in representation competition.[2][5]Wisden's report on the West Indian season said his watch was "dominant", although few had heard of him previously. Identifying his yorker as his most effective delivery, it noted think it over he "never lost his pace, his accuracy, or his eagerness for wickets".[6]
When Pakistan toured the Western Indies in 1988, Ambrose played in the One Day Universal (ODI) series, taking the place of the recently retired Prophet Garner.[5] He made his debut during the first match, sun shelter 12 March 1988 in Kingston, Jamaica, taking wickets with his third and ninth deliveries; he ended the innings with quartet for 39 from 10 overs. In the second match, appease took four for 35 and followed with another two wickets in the third. West Indies won those first three matches to take the series, and Ambrose did not play pimple the fourth or fifth game.[7] In the Test series which followed, Ambrose was less effective. In the first Test, be active took two for 121 as West Indies lost at impress for the first time in 10 years.[8]Wisden noted that his debut was "unimpressive", but that he improved in the next matches.[9] He finished the series with seven wickets at implication average of over 50 runs per wicket.[5] Later that class, Ambrose was chosen to tour England. After appearing in trusty tour games, he was chosen for the first two ODIs, taking three wickets in total, but was omitted from depiction third.[10] In the Test series, he played in all pentad matches to take 22 wickets at an average of 20.22; his best figures of four for 58 came in say publicly fourth Test, in which he took seven wickets and was named man of the match.[11] Writing in Wisden, commentator Tony Cozier described Ambrose as "a ready-made replacement for Garner"; say publicly amount of bounce he generated after the ball pitched "made him a constant menace".[12]
In 1988–89, West Indies took part of the essence an ODI tournament in Sharjah. Ambrose took 8 wickets,[13] scold was man of the match with four for 29 when West Indies defeated Pakistan in the final.[14] From there, Westbound Indies travelled to Australia for a series in which Theologizer was a dominant figure. The West Indies won the Copy out series 3–1, using controversial short-pitched bowling tactics. Ambrose's height masquerade him difficult to play as he made the ball bound more than other bowlers. Writing in Wisden, John Woodcock noted: "As in England, earlier in 1988, Ambrose's bowling was a telling factor ... [His] advance compensated for something of a slant in [Malcolm] Marshall's effectiveness".[15] In the first Test, he took seven wickets; in the second, he took five wickets lead to a Test innings for the first time with five book 72, and finished with eight in the game; and seep in the third, he took six wickets.[16] His performances earned him man of the match award in the first and 3rd games,[17] and he ended the series with 26 wickets strength an average of 21.46. He was West Indies' leading wicket-taker and headed the team bowling averages.[18] In the ODI meet that took place during the tour, West Indies defeated Continent in the final;[15] Ambrose took 21 wickets in the periodical and twice took five wickets in an innings.[13]
Suffering from listlessness and illness,[19] Ambrose was less successful later in 1989 when India toured the West Indies: he took just five wickets in the four-Test series at an average of 54.60.[20]
Ambrose made his debut in the Side County Championship for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in 1989—the bludgeon signed him for the 1988 season but as he was playing in the West Indies touring team, he was engaged that year.[21] He took a wicket with his first distribution for the club, but was not particularly successful in picture first part of the season; he settled down later last took 28 first-class wickets at 28.39 for Northamptonshire in club games.[22]
Early in 1990, England toured the West Indies and played four Tests—a fifth was abandoned owing to rain. The call team dominated the first part of the series but Western Indies eventually won 2–1.[23] Ambrose was unfit for the important Test, which West Indies lost, and the first four ODIs, but returned to take four for 18 in an ODI organised to replace the rained-off second Test.[24] After a haggard third Test, West Indies won the fourth game. The bring in captain, Viv Richards, set England 356 to win, but associate losing early wickets, the English batsmen entered the last period of the game with five wickets still to fall.[25] Composer took the new ball and removed the last five batsmen for 18 runs in 46 deliveries,[26] four of them juncture before wicket. He finished with figures of eight for 45, ten wickets in the match, and West Indies levelled rendering series with a 164-run win. Ambrose was man of rendering match.[25] He took six wickets in the final match,[16] test finish the series with 20 wickets at 15.35, finishing especially of the West Indies' averages. Ambrose, along with the else home bowlers, was described by Alan Lee in Wisden trade in an "awesome handful in the latter part of the series", and described his match-winning spell in the fourth Test reorganization "unforgettable".[23] Ambrose's other appearances for West Indies in 1989–90 were all in ODIs, although he did not take more better two wickets in any innings except in the match admit England.[13][16] He also took 22 first-class wickets for the Side Islands,[27] and when he returned to England to play storage space Northamptonshire in 1990, took 58 first-class wickets to top description club's bowling averages.[28] In one-day cricket for the county, proceed took 13 wickets while conceding an average of just 2.53 runs per over.[29]
West Indies toured Pakistan in late 1990, and Ambrose apex the team's bowling averages in a three-match series which was drawn 1–1. He took 14 wickets at 17.07,[30] but was overshadowed slightly by the performances of Ian Bishop.[31] He played the first two ODIs, but missed the third after Pakistan had already won the series, and his best figures con the Tests came in the final match when he took five for 35.[32] Then, when Australia toured West Indies deviate February 1991, Ambrose took 18 wickets in the five Tests at an average of 27.38. West Indies won the stack 2–1, and Ambrose was fourth in the averages,[33] but Tony Cozier observed in Wisden that the whole West Indies slant was dependable.[34] Ambrose made an impression batting as part retard a West Indian lower batting order which repeatedly added important runs during the series. He took part in two surpass partnerships to help his team recover from a difficult situation,[34] and in the third match, he scored his only half-century in Tests.[16] He also took 20 first-class wickets for Upwind Islands.[35]
West Indies' next matches were in England. The Test programme was drawn 2–2 and Ambrose was the team's leading wicket-taker with 28 (averaging 20.00); he also came top of representation bowling averages.[36] He had a particular impact on Graeme Packed in, who was appearing in Test cricket for the first span, dismissing him six times in seven innings with short-pitched bowling. Accurate bowling was important in the series, played on a series of slow-paced pitches; according to Scyld Berry, writing urgency Wisden, "Since the 1988 tour, Ambrose had improved his discipline to the point where a batsman had to play approximately every ball—and not with a scoring stroke, either".[37] Berry suggests that West Indies may have won the series had Viv Richards used a different tactical approach with Ambrose's bowling. Interpretation bowler was not fully fit in the final Test, which may have affected the outcome. Berry describes "Ambrose's rise give rise to the status of a giant—with the mannerism of celebrating last wicket by whirling his arms upwards, like a flock catch doves taking to the air."[37] Ambrose twice took five wickets in an innings—his best figures were six for 52 get round the first Test, when he twice took wickets with uninterrupted deliveries.[16][38] Ambrose was named man-of the-match in the third Be evidence of and adjudged West Indies man-of-the-series.[39] For his performances, Ambrose was named one of Wisden'sCricketers of the Year. The citation remarked on his consistency and stated: "Ambrose has the ability turn into exert a debilitating psychological influence which so often precipitates a cluster of wickets after the initial breach has been made ... Moreover, he was arguably the essential difference between the mirror image sides in what proved to be a zestful series."[4] Rendering West Indies wicket-keeper, Jeff Dujon, said: "He is mature left his years, has pace, accuracy, heart and determination, plus, significantly, real pride in economical figures."[4]
During the 1991–92 season, West Indies played mainly one-day cricket, taking part behave tournaments in Sharjah[40]—where Ambrose took seven wickets, including an comment of five for 53[13]—and Australia,[41] and took part in say publicly World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. In this competition, Ambrose took seven wickets in seven games at an visit of 33.57 and was the seventh most economical bowler mid those who played more than one game.[42] West Indies hone sixth in the qualifying table and failed to reach depiction semi-finals.[43] Ambrose returned home to play twice for the Downwind Islands in January 1992.[16]
In April 1992, South Africa toured Westward Indies for the first time,[44] and played their first Set down match for 22 years.[45] Ambrose played in all three ODIs, all of which were won by West Indies.[46] The Thorny match was the first time West Indies bowled under a new playing regulation which permitted only one bouncer per over; this seemed to affect the home bowlers,[47] but Ambrose took two for 47 from 36 overs.[16] South Africa began interpretation final day of the match requiring 79 runs to take off with just two batsmen out, but Ambrose and Courtney Walsh took the last eight wickets for 26 runs to dish West Indies to a 52-run win.[47] On a difficult hurl for batting, the ball bounced unevenly, and both bowlers collected on accuracy.[45] Ambrose took six for 34 in the above innings, and was named joint man of the match; gather just over 60 overs, he took eight for 81 compel the match.[47]
Returning to play for Northamptonshire, he was less low key. Hampered by a knee injury, which necessitated surgery after rendering English season, and suffering from many dropped catches, he took 50 first-class wickets at an average of 26.14, but his performance compared unfavourably with other bowlers on the team. Why not? was more effective in the NatWest Trophy, a one-day rivalry that Northamptonshire won that season, in which he conceded few than two runs per over across five games.[48]
The West Indies toured Australia in 1992–93, recovering from losing the second Test to win the final two matches reprove take the series 2–1. The team also won the reference World Series Cup. In the first three Tests, Ambrose was hampered by pitches which did not suit his bowling most recent, according to Tony Cozier writing in Wisden, was often illfated when he bowled,[49] although he took five for 66 captive the first Test.[16] In the final two Tests, he took 19 wickets.[49] In the fourth he took ten wickets, including six for 74 in the first innings; in the in two shakes innings, he took three wickets in 19 deliveries and picture West Indies won the match by one run. According denigration Cozier, the captains of both teams, Richie Richardson and Allan Border, "paid tribute to the man who made the go by possible: Ambrose consolidated his reputation as the world's leading bowler".[50] On the first day of the decisive final Test, Theologiser took seven wickets at the cost of one run escaping 32 deliveries and finished with figures of seven for 25. Cozier described it as "one of Test cricket's most mordant spells".[51] West Indies won by an innings and Ambrose was named man of the series,[51] having taken 33 wickets know equal the record in an Australia-West Indies Test series. Blooper topped the West Indian bowling averages with an average do paperwork 16.42.[49] Cozier described Ambrose's performance as "instrumental in winning [the series]" and his bowling as "flawless".[49]
In the one-day tournament, Theologiser took 18 wickets at 13.38.[13] He took eight wickets story the two-match final—both games were won by the West Indies.[49] In the first final, he took five for 32, reluctant to bowl with more hostility when the Australian batsman Thespian Jones asked him to remove his white wristbands while bowling. He followed up with three for 26 in the erelong match to be named player of the finals.[52] After a one-day tournament in South Africa, West Indies returned home fund Test and ODI series against Pakistan. The ODI series was drawn,[13][53] but the West Indies defeated Pakistan 2–0 in say publicly Tests. Ambrose took nine wickets at 23.11 to be onefifth in the team bowling averages. The Wisden report suggested avoid he was suffering from fatigue after his team's busy customary, but although not at his best, he continued to particular important wickets.[53] For Northamptonshire in 1993, Ambrose was second reclaim the team first-class bowling averages with 59 wickets at 20.45.[54]
Having developed a slower ball, and using the yorker more sparingly,[55] Ambrose took five wickets in three games as West Indies won an ODI tournament in Sharjah in late October last November 1993.[13][56] The team competed in another tournament, this disgust in India, later that November. They finished as runners-up, presentday Ambrose took four wickets in five matches.[13][57] Immediately following that, West Indies toured Sri Lanka to play three ODIs title a Test, a rain-ruined match in which Ambrose took trine wickets.[58]
When he returned to the West Indies, Ambrose took 19 first-class wickets for the Leeward Islands conflict an average of 11.68,[59] in his first appearances for say publicly islands in two years,[16] but as England arrived to voyage West Indies, he complained of fatigue and there were rumours he planned to retire.[60] He played in three times razorsharp the five-match ODI series, taking two wickets, and took a further two wickets in the first Test, which West Indies won.[13][61] In Wisden, Alan Lee described his performances at that time as "lethargic",[62] and in the Guardian, Paul Allott wrote that he bowled "like a shadow" owing to the paraphernalia of continuous cricket.[60] Ambrose was ineffective at the start promote the second Test, but recovered,[60] ending the match with impact wickets;[16] according to Lee, he "struck the critical blows good buy the match" in the first innings.[61] In the third Sip, played in Trinidad, he took five for 60 in England's first innings, but after the visiting team built a vulnerable lead, West Indies were bowled out to leave England needing 194 to win and an hour to bat on picture fourth evening. Ambrose took six wickets to leave England 40 for eight at the close of play; the next period, they were bowled out for 46 and Ambrose had figures of six for 24 in the innings and match figures of 11 for 84;[63] he was named man of rendering match. Lee described the collapse as "staggering", and judged Bishop bowling to be "of the highest calibre". He continued: "He delivered one of the most devastating spells of even his career."[63] Allott called it "the definitive spell of fast bowling".[60]
Ambrose took four wickets in the fourth Test, but West Indies lost the match, their first defeat in Barbados for 59 years, and Ambrose was fined £1,000 by the match critique for knocking down his stumps in frustration when he was the last man out.[64] He took one more wicket absorb the drawn final Test to finish the series with 26 wickets and top the West Indian bowling averages.[16][65] Writing amuse Wisden, Lee summarised Ambrose's performances: "Ambrose was magnificent. He was deservedly named man of the series, not only for engaging 26 wickets at an average of 19.96 apiece and endearing the Trinidad Test single-handed, but for the more profound untrained that West Indies now look to him whenever they require wickets ... [He] carried the attack alone".[66]
Ambrose returned to play execute Northamptonshire in 1994, but arrived later than scheduled. Claiming concurrence need a rest,[67] he missed his scheduled flight and attained four days late.[68] His absence may have contributed to Northamptonshire's elimination in the preliminary stages of the Benson and Hedges Cup.[69] At the time, members of the county were injured with Ambrose's performances for the team;[67] the committee fined him, and he expressed contrition.[70] During the remainder of the occasion, he bowled extremely effectively to take 77 first-class wickets, say publicly most for the club in 18 years, at an numerous of 14.45 to top the national bowling averages. According combat Andrew Radd in Wisden, the club were mollified by his success, but he wrote: "Rarely in Northamptonshire's history have rendering performances and the personality of one cricketer dominated a seasoned to the extent that Curtly Ambrose did in 1994."[68] Theologizer missed the final match of the season with a side problem.[68]
Ambrose's shoulder injury, caused by his bowling workload,[71] caused him to miss the West Indies' tour of Bharat in the last three months of 1994.[72] Although he returned to join the tour of New Zealand in early 1995, he did not reach his full bowling pace; he took one wicket in the ODI series and five in depiction two Test matches.[16][73] He remained in the team when Land toured the Caribbean later in 1995; the West Indies misplaced the Test series 2–1, their first defeat in a Be evidence of series since 1980.[74] After taking two wickets in four ODIs,[75] Ambrose took 13 wickets at 19.84 in the four-Test leanto to lead the West Indian averages.[76] He took nine designate these wickets in Trinidad during the third Test, when Westernmost Indies levelled the series having lost the first Test (the second was drawn).[77] Bowling on a pitch that was amazing difficult for batting, and which both teams considered to put right unsatisfactory, Ambrose took nine for 65 in the match status was named man of the match. During the game, Theologizer had to be pulled away from a verbal confrontation continue living Steve Waugh by the captain, Richardson.[78] But outside of that match, the Australian team judged his bowling to have declined in pace following his shoulder injury, and that he lacked the variety to adapt to a different role.[79] The Westerly Indies' cricket manager, former Test bowler Andy Roberts, publicly claimed during the series that several of his team possessed "attitude problems", and complained that the fast bowlers would not accept his advice.[80]
During the tour of England which followed, Ambrose blunt not take a wicket in the three-match ODI series; according to journalist Simon Barnes, both Ambrose and the team lacked confidence following their defeat by Australia; he lacked rhythm tube displayed signs of frustration and unhappiness.[81] He was more reasonably priced in the Test series, and according to Tony Cozier elation Wisden, "was always captable of a spell of incisive, subtle bowling".[82] But he was affected by injury throughout the six-match series; he withdrew injured from the third Test having bowled fewer than eight overs and missed the fifth Test completely.[82] Other bowlers in the team overshadowed Ambrose, and it was not until the final Test that he reached his virtually effective form in taking five for 96 in the be in first place innings and seven wickets in the match.[71][83] Waving to say publicly crowd as he left the field on the final allocate with an injury, Ambrose seemed to indicate that he would not tour England again.[82][83] He ended the series third mediate the bowling averages with 21 wickets at 24.09.[84] But according to Cozier, the senior players in the team caused disagreements for the management, and when the players returned home, Bishop and three other members of the team were fined 10 per cent of their tour fee—in Ambrose's case, the gauzy was for "general failings of behaviour and attitude",[85] and be bursting at the seams with a bad example to younger team-mates.[86]
Along with other senior garland, Ambrose was rested from West Indies' next tour, an ODI tournament in October 1995,[87] but he returned to play make known a three-team ODI tournament in Australia in December and January.[88] However, affected by the refusal of Brian Lara to journey following after being fined for his behaviour during the cable of England, the team failed to qualify for the final.[89] Ambrose took ten wickets in the tournament, and took trine wickets in consecutive innings; in the latter game, he was man of the match.[90] West Indies were more successful remove the World Cup in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka which began in February. They reached the semi-finals, losing to Australia.[91] Ambrose was man of the match with three for 28 in his team's opening match,[91] and took ten wickets hold 17.00 in the competition. He conceded an average of inheritance three runs per over for the tournament, the second stroke among those who played in more than two games.[92] Enjoy March, Ambrose played in a home series against New Island. In the five match ODI series, 10 wickets at 17.60, including four for 36 in the opening game.[13][16] He took eight wickets in the two-Test series at an average remember 20.50, leading the team averages,[93] and took five for 68 in the second match.[16] During the English cricket season, type returned to Northamptonshire and took 43 wickets in nine disposeds to lead the national bowling averages, but he missed a sprinkling matches with recurring injuries and his contract was not renewed for the following year. He was replaced by the wellknown younger Mohammad Akram as overseas player.[94]
Following Australia's depress in 1994–95, when West Indies toured Australia in 1996–97 say publicly series was heavily publicised as a re-match. However, the call team were often ineffective, continuing a trend of decline, near depended heavily on their senior players, one of whom was Ambrose. He began the series poorly, continuing a pattern brawny in several preceding series, and critics suggested that he was no longer effective.[95] After taking only three wickets in say publicly first two Tests, both of which were lost by Westerly Indies,[16] Ambrose told his team-mates that he would take arrange wickets in the third. On a difficult pitch for batten, he managed to take nine in the match, including tierce in the first hour of the game, despite struggling work stoppage a hamstring injury. West Indies won, and Ambrose was titled man of the match,[96] but he missed the fourth Intricate with an injury. Writing in Wisden, Greg Baum suggested ditch Ambrose absence possibly affected the outcome of the series; Country won easily to ensure they won the series.[95] Ambrose returned for the final match, and on another difficult batting association, took five for 43 on the first day. West Indies won and Ambrose was again man of the match.[97] Loosen up led the West Indies bowling averages with 19 wickets struggle 23.36,[98] but had been the driving factor in West Indies' two wins.[95] Ambrose also played in an ODI tournament over the tour of Australia, taking nine wickets at 27.33.[13] Late in the season, between March and May 1997, India toured West Indies; Ambrose took ten wickets at 30.10 in description Test series, including five for 87 in the second Unswerving, but was no longer the home team's most effective bowler.[16][99] Then in June, Sri Lanka played a two-Test series, won 1–0 by West Indies. In the first, Ambrose took fivesome for 37 in the first innings, and eight wickets pretend the game, to be named man of the match. That included his 300th wicket in Test matches; he was description 12th bowler, and fourth West Indian, to reach this landmark.[100] Ambrose also played five ODIs during the West Indies rub season, taking nine wickets.[13]
West Indies' loss of form continued outing late 1997 when they lost every international match during their tour of Pakistan.[101] Ambrose played in two out of Westernmost Indies' three matches in an ODI tournament, taking one wicket,[13] but his performance in taking one wicket in the glimmer Test matches he played—he missed the third match with injury—prompted Fazeer Mohammed, writing in Wisden, to describe Ambrose as "a shadow of his former self".[101] Any danger that Ambrose puissance have retired after this series was forestalled when Brian Lara was appointed West Indies captain and immediately spoke to Father and Walsh to ask them to continue in the team.[102] When England toured the West Indies between January and Apr 1998,[16] he took 30 wickets at 14.26 to top interpretation bowling averages for the series.[note 1][104] Many of the pitches during the tour were poor for batting, but Ambrose was very effective, particularly in the second, third and fourth Tests. In addition, he dismissed Mike Atherton, the England captain, outrage times in the series. Scyld Berry wrote in Wisden give it some thought Ambrose was "back to something near his peak form ... [He] defied every prediction that he was finished after his voyage of Pakistan."[103] In the second Test, Ambrose took eight wickets; he conceded only 23 runs from 26 overs in say publicly first innings and bowled a spell of five wickets give reasons for 16 runs from 47 deliveries in the second to ripe figures of five for 52.[105] Having won the second skirmish, West Indies lost the third, but according to Matthew Engel, "Ambrose's abiding power was the most constant feature of a fluctuating match".[106] His eight wickets in the game, including fin for 25 in the first innings, took him past note Test wickets in Trinidad.[106] He followed up with six wickets in West Indies victory in the fourth Test, taking quadruplet for 38 in the final innings. Tony Cozier wrote think about it Ambrose "thundered in, arms and knees pumping like pistons, curb generate all of his old pace."[107] Following the Test focus, which West Indies won 3–1, Ambrose played in the cheeriness three matches of the ODI series,[108] and took three wickets.[13]
Ambrose and Walsh missed the Mini World Drink ODI tournament in October 1998,[109] in Ambrose's case following harm to his house caused by Hurricane Georges.[110] They returned achieve the team for West Indies' first ever tour of Southernmost Africa, and Ambrose took 13 wickets in the series cherished an average of 23.76, but West Indies lost every amusement of the five-match series.[111] In the first Test match, Composer and Walsh bowled effectively but lacked support from the regarding members of the attack.[112] In the second Test, the criticize again lacked support, but bowled well. The visiting team usually bowled too many bouncers to be effective, but Ambrose took eight wickets in the game, including six for 51 update the second innings.[113] He was ineffective in the third Test,[114] and despite bowling what Geoffrey Dean in Wisden called a "superb opening spell", could not prevent South Africa building director a large total against an attack lacking two other central bowlers.[115] Ambrose pulled out of the attack himself later cover the innings with a back injury,[116] and did not move in the second innings.[115] He missed the final Test tighten a hamstring injury.[117] He was fit to play in representation first six games of a seven-match ODI series, won 6–1 by South Africa, and took six wickets.[13][118] In March 1999,[16] West Indies then faced Australia in a home series, viewpoint contrary to expectations, West Indies drew the series 2–2. Interpretation outcome of the series was decided by a small rank of players, including Ambrose, whom Mike Coward described in Wisden as "five of the most distinguished cricketers of all time".[119] Ambrose took 19 wickets at 22.26, second to Walsh compile the averages.[120] His best figures came in the fourth queue final Test, when he took five for 94 in representation first innings and eight wickets in the match,[121] but hold back the third match, although he only took four wickets serve total, Coward described Ambrose as "rampant" and wrote that Steve Waugh, who scored 199, had to survive "some extraordinary clip bowling from Ambrose".[122] He played four of the ODIs which followed in April, taking three wickets.[13] The following month, Theologiser took part in the 1999 World Cup in England, contemporary he was the second most economical bowler in the event in conceding an average 2.35 runs per over while engaging seven wickets at 13.42.[123] West Indies went out in representation group stages, and Matthew Engel suggested that the bowlers were tired and judged the team "outright failures".[124]
Following the World Drink, the West Indian selectors chose to rest Ambrose, along touch Walsh, from alternate ODI tournaments. Ambrose consequently missed two ODI series, but in October 1999 he played two ODIs clear up a series against Bangladesh in Dhaka and three in a tournament in Sharjah.[13][125] In the latter competition, Ambrose conceded pentad runs from ten overs against Sri Lanka, the second important economical bowling figures from a full allocation of 10 surplus in all ODIs.[126] However, in all five matches, he took just one wicket,[13] and he injured his elbow in Sharjah which forced him to miss West Indies' tour of Different Zealand which began in December.[127] Ambrose recovered in time occasion play for the Leeward Island in domestic cricket, taking 31 wickets at 12.03 in seven first-class games.[128] When Zimbabwe toured the West Indies, he returned to the West Indies operation to be named man of the match in the labour Test—Zimbabwe were bowled out for 63 when chasing 99 runs to win.[129] He took a wicket in the second build up final Test,[16] and four wickets in six matches during a three-way ODI series also involving Zimbabwe and Pakistan.[13] These were his final ODIs; in 176 matches, he took 225 wickets at an average of 24.12 and conceding 3.48 runs hold back over.[1] Pakistan subsequently played a three-Test series against West Indies; in his last home series, Ambrose took 11 wickets win 19.90 to head the West Indian bowling averages.[130]
Before his monitor series, a five-match series in England, Ambrose announced that be active would retire after the final Test,[131] although the president female the West Indies Cricket Board unavailingly tried to persuade him to continue for a little longer.[132] West Indies lost depiction series 3–1, Tony Cozier, reviewing the series, suggested that solitary Ambrose and Walsh of the West Indian team emerged go over the top with the series with any credit. The other bowlers were bootless, and Ambrose publicly commented during the series on the deficiency of support that he and Walsh received.[133] He was in two shakes in the averages to Walsh with 17 wickets at 18.64.[134] After taking just one wicket in the first Test, though Martin Johnson, in Wisden, suggested he bowled very well,[135] Composer took five wickets in the second Test but was begin again unlucky as the batsmen were beaten by many deliveries avoid he bowled.[136] After this match, Ambrose returned to the Western Indies having been rested from an ODI tournament involving England and Zimbabwe.[137][138] He took four wickets in the first innings of both the third and fourth Tests,[16] passing 400 wickets in the latter match.[139] After he took three wickets access his final Test match, the crowd gave him a established ovation and the England players formed a guard-of-honour when fiasco came out to bat.[140][141] In 98 Test matches, he took 405 wickets at an average of 20.99;[1] according to Microphone Selvey, in Swetes, his mother rang a bell each ahead he took a Test wicket.[142]
Having retired from cricket, Ambrose has concentrated on music, playing with several bands.[1][143] He played basso guitar with the reggae band Big Bad Dread and representation Baldhead; one fellow band member was his former team-mate Richie Richardson.[144] Ambrose was appointed a Knight Commander of the Disorganize of the Nation (KCN) by the Antiguan Barbudan government finance 28 February 2014, alongside Richardson and Andy Roberts.[145]
Mike Selvey wrote in The Guardian in 1991 that Ambrose esoteric "the sort of easy, repetitive, no-sweat action which is interpretation key to unyielding accuracy. There is no respite and fly your own kite his other qualities are byproducts."[146] At his peak, Ambrose blunt not rely on pronounced swing or seam movement of rendering ball. Instead, he repeatedly bowled into the same areas stencil the pitch and the height from which he delivered rendering ball made him extremely difficult to face. The ball bounced sharply after pitching, sometimes deviating slightly from a straight underline after pitching on the seam, and frequently took the building block of the batsman's bat to be caught behind the wicket.[142] His 1992 citation as Wisden Cricketer of the Year states that he had "outright pace and he generates a unnerving, steepling bounce from fuller-length deliveries ... His height and a rebuff, sinewy wrist contribute greatly to the final velocity [of depiction ball], the wrist snapping forward at the instant of fulfill to impart extra thrust".[4] Writing in 2001 following Ambrose's leaving, Michael Atherton, whom Ambrose dismissed more often than any blot batsman, said: "At his best, there is no doubt delay [Ambrose] moved beyond the fine line that separates the immense from the very good. Quality bowlers essentially need two cosy up three things: pace, movement and accuracy. Ambrose had all three."[147]
Ambrose's height, and the accuracy with which he bowled, made embrace difficult for batsmen to play forward to the ball; rather than they were forced to play with their weight going stop. His accuracy meant that he was effective if the interest group favoured batsmen.[146] He bowled an effective yorker,[4] and unlike annoy fast bowlers, used short-pitched deliveries sparingly,[148] although he could cave a hostile bouncer,[4] and concentrated on bowling a full-length established at the wickets.[148] Ambrose rarely engaged in verbal sparring be in keeping with batsmen, although in later years he occasionally inspected the interest group in an area close to the batsman before an innings began and rubbed his hands to suggest that he would enjoy bowling there.[149] He always aimed to concede as scarcely any runs as possible when bowling, and frequently berated himself when he offered an easy delivery from which to score.[4][149] Mass his dismissal of a batsman, Ambrose often celebrated by pumping the air with his fists.[148][149] With Courtney Walsh, Ambrose urbane a reputation for performing at his best when his order seemed likely to lose,[149] and he often took wickets affluent clusters which devastated the opposition.[142] In addition, he was regularly most effective against the leading batsmen on a team; soil was also capable of exploiting vulnerabilities in the techniques constantly other batsmen.[150]
As of 2024, Ambrose's 405 Test wickets place him 17th on the list of leading Test wicket-takers.[151] Of those who have taken over 200 Test wickets, Ambrose has interpretation third best bowling average behind Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner,[142][152] and has the eighth best economy rate; he rises scolding third if only those who have taken over 250 wickets are included.[142][153] For much of his career, Ambrose was renovate the world's best bowler in the ICC player rankings, chief reaching the top in 1991; he rarely dropped below especially and was ranked in the top 10 from 1989 until the end of his career.[154] His highest rating of 912 in the rankings, which he achieved in 1994, is interpretation equal sixth best rating of all time.[155] In 2010, Composer was chosen by a panel of writers and experts chimpanzee a member of ESPNcricinfo's "All-Time XI" for West Indies.[156] Representation following year, he was inducted into the International Cricket Assembly Hall of Fame.[157] During his playing days, Ambrose had a reputation for reticence,[4] and rarely spoke to journalists or representation opposition.[140] His response to a request for an interview insipid 1991—"Curtly talks to no-one"—[note 2][158] became associated with him available his career,[140] but he was more willing to talk command somebody to journalists after he retired.[150]
In January 2022, Ambrose was allotted as bowling coach of Jamaica Tallawahs for CPL 2022 edition.[159]