Yup. The basic requirement seems to be "nippy enough". My impression is that in practise the categorisation is not really based on the speed at which the ball is released, though: what we mean is more like as follows:

Medium: someone who has to rely on guile to get wickets... a bowler like Bedser who has to vary his pace a lot, throw in a lot of cutters and generally work on getting the batsman to make a mistake... and who only really excels when he can get the ball to swing. Someone who'll get carted if they don't have great control.

Fast Medium: standard frontline bowler, like Gus Fraser, who gets the balll coming through well enough to comand respect merely by landing the ball on the seam and in the right place. May ALSO have the crafts of the medium pacer... and if so can be expected to be devastating when conditions suit (think McGrath, Pollock, even Hoggard).

Fast: someone who basically seeks to take wickets through aggression. That's not to say that they can't be masters of the above (the best obviously are)... but that their grounding was running in and letting the ball fly... not running in and showing control, variation and the rest.

Actual speed on release obviously has some bearing on what a bowlers options are... but style strikes me as the main thing: Devon Malcolm, Alan Donald and their ilk have a way of bowling that just ain't that of the craftsman. They don't LOOK like bowlers to treat like workhorses... even when they can be!

ps. I've always avoided using the label of "fast" for anyone I really respect: bowlers like Wasim Akram and Curtley Ambrose, in the latter (better) part of their careers were so much BETTER than that. Seems demeaning to mention their pace when it was generally their craftsmanship (and in particular their mastery of lateral movement) that got them their wickets!

I reckon that's a good description of Tremlett, with a bit more flair hopefully. Fast-Medium it is then.

Pedants of the world unite!

And when did you last see a bowler like Bedster?.
The truth is in Test cricket, unless conditions are spot on, medium pacers get carted at worst, and can contain with the odd wicket at best.
Also wickets were different in Bedsters day, even the overhead conditions have changed.

The truth of the matter is-fast bowlers the likes of Lilee Thompson Marshall Holding-Walsh Garner Ambrose even Englands Devon Malcolm changed the face of cricket for good.

Trueman-Latham all the old greats had pace, just there are more pace bowlers these days.

PS:Wasim-Waqar-Sir Richard Hadlee-Flintoff-Larwood, like the above all match winners.

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Ern

Come on People! Why are we debating bowling speeds and not the bowler's ability! It isn't all about their pace. I couldn't give a fig for whether Mascarenhas is described as fast-medium, medium-fast or slow as a bloody cart-horse! We must have seen these chaps bowl at some point and know how much trouble they cause. I'm seen Mascarenhas and Tremlett many times in the same team, and Mascarenhas would be ahead of Tremlett on my teamsheet (just).

The alternatives - well, Sidebottom, i've seen him a couple of times and i think his main asset is the variation he provides with the left-armer thing - I can't help thinking that this would be like calling up Mark Illot or Paul Taylor in the early 90s - a horses for courses choice. Plunkett, I haven't seen so I can't comment

But seriously people, there's enough to debate without arguing over speeds that they bowl at. Why do some people get so hung up on pace?!?

Well said Andy - instead of discussing speed categorisations, better to discuss ability, and relevance to the overall team.

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A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes
Mark Twain

Let's keep this relevent: ALL the specialist bowlers in contention have shown, out in the middle, that they are good bowlers and whatever they get classed as, in terms of pace, they know how to take wickets for their side. The question boils down to two things:

{i} Who's most deserving and has done the most to warrant selection.

{ii} Has anyone shown such huge potential that they should be discussed alongside the above on that alone (without having realy set the world on fire with their performances).

Now... it's pretty clear that Davies and Sidebottom lead the first category... and that Plunkett and Panesar perhaps warranting a mention in the second category... with Tremlett figuring a bit in each... with Kabir Ali and Mascarenhas getting squeezed on both fronts.

My own feeling is that neither Plunkett nor Panesar have really earnt their place yet... but in Panesar's case that might not matter as the competition is pretty minimal. In Plunkett's case I don't think that's true though.... and right now he's being talked of on promise when others genuinely are DOING IT.

For what it's worth I reckon Sidebottom is an automatic as 1st opener... with Tremlett comfortably seeing off Plunkett as his partner. That's a pairing that is reasonably seasoned... and which shouldn't get overwhelmed if charged with senior bowler status in a big match. Put Davies at 1st change on the understanding that he'd perhaps be the one to miss out in favour of a second spinner on a subcontinental track or at Old Trafford.

He was having a fantastic season before the England call ups disrupted his season.

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Steven

Two important criteria I think we should consider when picking players are:
1. They must merit inclusion in the side.
2. Their county performance must be on a par with players selected in previous years to maintain the overall team quality from year to year.

The stats for our two opening bowlers last year if used as a guide show that Sidebottom is right up there and betters those two in average and economy. He also beats Tremlett and Plunkett in most of the bowling stats. Can we agree that Sidebottom merits inclusion in the team based on the selection criteria and bowling stats?

Mike, I concur with you and Rachael that Sidebottom is the first choice, and Tremlett, based on the early season performances, goes in as the second seamer. Plunkett's time will come next year, hopefully.

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A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes
Mark Twain

I am being persuded towards Sidebottom over Plunkett - although not yet totally convinced. Interestingly I think only 3 out of 12 of us selected him in our original teams!

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Steven