West Indies Test Statistics - Best Innings Bowling Performances

Although cricket is a team game, there is plentyOval in 1971(18.5 overs)
room for brilliant individual performers and3. Lance Gibbs: 8/38 against India at Kensington Oval
performances. In addition, while cricket is a game forin 1962 (53.3 overs)
batsmen, many cricket pundits hold that bowlers win4. Curtley Ambrose: 8/45 against England at
Test matches. After all, if a team cannot claim 20Kensington Oval in 1990 (22.4 overs)
wickets on a regular basis, it would rely on fortuitous5. Michael Holding: 8/92 versus England at The Oval in
declarations to win and it does not often happen that1976 (33.0 overs)
teams lose matches after declaring anyway.Jack Noreiga's effort is the closest any West Indian
The West Indies have had a number ofever came to taking all ten wickets in an innings.
match-winners in Test matches, particularly with theWhat is surprising is that the West Indies still lost to
pace armoury of the late 70s, 80s and early 90s.India by seven wickets in Port of Spain. The
Surprisingly, a spinner has the best bowling analysis inTrinidadian off-spinner did not pick up a wicket in the
an innings for the Caribbean side. For a region that issecond innings-leaving his match tally at 9/131, which
enamoured with fast bowling, it is a further surprisewas his best match bowling figures as well.
that four spinners (Noreiga, Gibbs, Valentine andUnlike Noreiga's effort, Colin Croft's 8/29 against
Ramadhin) are in the top ten of this list. Apart fromPakistan in 1977 was a match-winning effort. The
Noreiga, the top six in this list are all by legends ofright arm fast bowler's devastating spell wreck the
West Indies cricket:Pakistan batting order in the first innings. However, he
1. Jack Noreiga: 9/95 against India at the Queen'sonly took one wicket for 66 runs in the second
Park Oval in 1971 (49.4 overs)innings. The W.I. still went on to win by six wickets-a
2. Colin Croft: 8/29 against Pakistan at Queen's Parkcomfortable victory.