'Raise hell' - the fastest bowler you might not have heard of

Everyone who encountered Duncan Spencer has a communicative to tell.

In nan early 1990s, a aureate property of accelerated bowling, Spencer mightiness person been nan quickest of all.

Born successful Lancashire and raised successful Perth, Spencer could person played for either England aliases Australia if his assemblage had not fto him down. The fastest bowler nan Ashes rivals ne'er had.

The awesome Viv Richards said Spencer was up location pinch nan quickest he faced. Ricky Ponting said nan aforesaid - Spencer and Ponting almost came to blows connected nan pitch.

Ryan Campbell, Durham coach and modern of Spencer astatine Western Australia, said he was "ridiculously and frighteningly fast". Tom Moody, nan erstwhile Australia world and different West Australian, said Spencer would "terrorise" batters.

Just earlier nan first Ashes Test, erstwhile England recorded their fastest corporate time of gait bowling connected record, BBC Sport met Spencer astatine his location successful nan south-west suburbs of Perth.

This is simply a communicative of injuries, comebacks and drugs. Most of all, it is simply a communicative astir nan visceral thrill of bowling fast.

Like astir kids calved successful nan northbound of England, nan young Duncan Spencer kicked a shot around. The problem was, his family moved to Perth erstwhile he was 5 and shot (his word) had not taken clasp successful Australia successful nan early 1980s.

Spencer was a batter successful inferior cricket. He was not usually allowed to vessel because he "bowled nan point everywhere". It was only successful 1 end-of-season game, erstwhile nan regular bowlers were missing, that nan 14-year-old Spencer sewage his chance.

"It each conscionable clicked," he says. Spencer's gait had been discovered, wickets tumbled and he was connected his measurement done nan Western Australian system.

"I had nan 'joy' of playing each of my inferior profession against Duncan," says Campbell. "You saw this kid, nan run-up, it conscionable looked for illustration it was going to beryllium accelerated - and he ever was. He was faster than everyone else.

"There are only 4 group successful my life I person said are ridiculously fast. That is Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, Shaun Tait and Duncan Spencer."

Spencer is not a gangly man. Even now, astatine nan property of 53, he has hulking shoulders, but a tallness of 5ft 8in is not perfect for a accelerated bowler. He had his first backmost cognition aged 17.

"I tie a comparison pinch Mark Wood," says Moody. "It's for illustration having a V8 motor successful a Mini Minor."

As Spencer was progressing, Daryl Foster was caput coach of Western Australia and Kent. When Foster learned of Spencer's British passport, he signed him to a two-year woody astatine Canterbury.

Spencer was raw. Just earlier he went to nan UK for nan 1993 summer, he bowled 42 no-balls playing for Western Australia against an England A squad including Jack Russell, Graham Thorpe, Dominic Cork and Andy Caddick - Spencer sewage Thorpe out.

On his first return to England since leaving arsenic a child, nan 21-year-old Spencer was shocked by nan acold and by nan region grind.

"I'd opportunity to nan different guys 'Are you sore?'" says Spencer. "They'd opportunity 'No, I'm alright'. I could hardly walk."

Spencer played 1 crippled successful nan County Championship that summer. He did, however, nutrient a spell of bowling that is mentioned by anyone who hears his name.

In September, Kent and Glamorgan met successful nan last lucifer of nan Sunday League season. They were nan apical 2 and nan title was connected nan line. It was besides nan past List A lucifer successful nan profession of West Indies fable Richards, aged 41.

The lucifer was televised unrecorded by nan BBC - Jonathan Agnew and Vic Marks were connected commentary. The footage is easy recovered online.

As Kent attempted to take sides a humble full of 200, Spencer was nan 5th bowler used. Whippy action, retro sky-blue Kent kit - Spencer's first shot whistled past nan receptor of Adrian Dale.

Spencer chiefly bowled 2 lengths: very afloat and very short. There were gasps from nan crowd arsenic nan shot either thudded into a Glamorgan batter aliases nan gloves of Kent keeper Steve Marsh.

After Spencer pinned Matthew Maynard - an England world - limb earlier wicket, Richards swaggered to nan crease to a opinionated ovation. Naturally, nan Master Blaster did not deterioration a helmet.

"He's utilized to galore a young pup tearing successful and trying to fto him person it," was Agnew's explanation of Richards defending his first shot connected nan backmost foot. Next ball, Spencer rattled him successful nan chest.

"He spat his chewing gum retired to cover," says Spencer. "He didn't show immoderate symptom but was intelligibly wounded aft nan 1 successful nan ribs."

Richards took different 1 connected nan apical hand. When he tried a swipe, nan shot looped up to beryllium caught connected nan limb side, only for nan umpire to awesome no-ball. Richards yet passed Spencer astatine nan non-striker's end, giving him a precocious 5 and a pat connected nan head.

Glamorgan won nan lucifer and nan title. Richards ended 46 not out. Spencer sewage a signed bat he still owns today.

"I walked into nan changing rooms and he said 'Man, that was superior pace, boy'," says Spencer. "He said 'That's a slow wicket and it was earnestly quick'."

Two months later, Spencer was backmost playing for Western Australia duelling pinch different fable - albeit early Australia skipper Ponting was still uncovering his measurement successful nan game.

Playing for Tasmania successful a Sheffield Shield crippled successful Hobart, Ponting was a fewer days awkward of his 20th day and nearing a century.

"This time against Ricky, it was on," says Spencer.

"Geoff Marsh, nan captain, came complete to maine and said 'mate, I don't attraction what you do, conscionable raise hell'.

"We were into each other. I gave him 4 bouncers successful a statement and I deliberation it should only person been 1 per batter, per over.

"He had a whinge to nan umpire. I turned astir to mid-off and said 'don't locomotion in. I've sewage to transportation this 1 up and he'll smash it'.

"He pushed it towards screen and I was successful my follow-through. I kept going and grabbed nan ball. He made retired he was going to run, truthful I turned and threw it. As he turned, it went past his caput and conscionable missed nan stumps.

"He turned astir and said 'you do that again I'll wrap this bat astir your neck'.

"I said 'don't fto fearfulness clasp you back'.

"Then we've gone into each other. I was astir to ace him. I'd mislaid it by then. We sewage into it connected nan transportation until nan players and umpires pulled america apart."

As destiny would person it, Spencer and Ponting would extremity up successful nan aforesaid barroom that evening, and they settled their quality complete a beer.

For Spencer, who admits to having a fiery temperament connected nan field, it was not conscionable opponents connected nan incorrect extremity of his aggression.

"Justin Langer was trying to occurrence maine up successful nan changing rooms, tapping maine successful nan face," says Spencer.

"I didn't request firing up. I was ever beautiful calm until I sewage past nan achromatic line. Justin thought he'd move maine connected earlier we went out.

"I conscionable went 'smack', time off maine alone, a small near hook successful nan chest. I could person deed him pinch a correct and sewage him. He didn't spell down and he said 'if that was anyone other it would person put a spread done them'."

Spencer was flying. When he returned to Kent for nan 1994 season, location was talk of an world call-up. Coach Foster told him not to do interviews, truthful arsenic not to state an allegiance to England aliases Australia.

Then, successful a flash, Spencer's profession came to a halt. He collapsed down successful a one-day crippled against Middlesex successful June.

"I collapsed connected nan crushed bowling to Mark Ramprakash," says Spencer. "I could hardly walk."

Spencer returned to Australia, slow coming to position pinch nan thought his days arsenic a master cricketer mightiness beryllium done. Now pinch a young family, mundane tasks for illustration mowing nan section were accompanied by excruciating pain.

In bid to unrecorded a normal life, Spencer took medicine steroids. The symptom receded and nan desire to play cricket returned. He went backmost to nan Perth nine circuit.

"Tom Moody was nan Western Australia skipper and recovered retired I was playing again," says Spencer.

"He said 'you're going to play a one-day crippled connected 2 January'. I laughed, didn't deliberation overmuch of it.

"It came astir and I was picked. I ended up playing and I was successful for nan one-day season. I was conscionable happy to beryllium backmost playing."

Spencer was backmost playing master cricket, almost 7 years aft his past appearance, and he remained pinch Western Australia connected their tally to nan 2000-01 home one-day cup final.

In nan final, his WA broadside included Mike Hussey and Simon Katich but they were beaten by a New South Wales squad of Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin and Michael Bevan.

After nan match, Spencer went done a supplier test. With nan steroids still successful his system, he was banned for 18 months, nan first cricketer successful Australia to beryllium punished nether anti-doping laws. He was front-page news.

"It was six months aft taking nan narcotics earlier I moreover attempted a bowl," he says. "By nan clip I played it was a twelvemonth later. Apparently it hangs astir successful your assemblage for overmuch longer. If I knew that, I wouldn't person played.

"I was talking pinch Kent and Hampshire, but past I sewage banned. I sewage perfectly hammered arsenic a punishment, but I was expecting worse."

Spencer was retired of nan crippled erstwhile more, but was still not done.

Five years later, done his activity arsenic a fittingness coach, Spencer recovered himself bowling to a young Ravi Bopara successful nan nets astatine Rockingham-Mandurah Cricket Club.

"Ravi said 'why are you not still playing?'" says Spencer. "Knowing really bully Ravi was - and is - if he thought I could do it, possibly I should play."

After nan narcotics ban, Spencer felt his clip playing for Western Australia was done, truthful he asked erstwhile Zimbabwe and Sussex batter Murray Goodwin if immoderate counties were looking for a bowler.

Remarkably, astatine nan property of 34, Spencer recovered himself backmost successful region cricket connected proceedings astatine Sussex successful nan summertime of 2006.

"I thought I was still beautiful passionate astir nan game, but I realised I astir apt wasn't," says Spencer.

"I was sharp, but not arsenic speedy arsenic I was arsenic a young fella. I was fresh capable to do it, but my activity ethic had gone. I astir apt went complete for nan incorrect reasons."

Spencer played 2 first-class matches for Sussex, against Warwickshire and nan touring Sri Lanka team. His past wicket successful master cricket was Kumar Sangakkara.

All successful all, he took 36 wickets successful 16 first-class matches and 23 scalps successful 20 List A games.

Nearly 20 years on, Spencer is settled successful Perth. He useful successful nan mines successful nan bluish portion of Western Australia.

Moody says location is "no question" Spencer could person played world cricket. Spencer says he would person happily played for England aliases Australia, but nan accent is 100% Aussie.

Spencer has nary thought really accelerated he bowled. He thinks he was told he was clocked astatine 158kph - conscionable complete 98mph - but that was "off a short run".

"I was successful nan incorrect era," he says, considering nan measurement modern accelerated bowlers are managed, aliases really he could person made a luck arsenic a T20 gun-for-hire.

"It is 1 of nan awesome shames that we didn't spot capable of Duncan Spencer," says Campbell. "When he sewage it correct - ohio my goodness."

Spencer did not cod nan wickets, nan world caps aliases nan rewards he mightiness have, but he knowledgeable what astir tin only dream of.

"When I didn't person rhythm, I was arsenic bad arsenic anyone," he says.

"When it each clicked, it was a awesome feeling. It's effortless. When you get nan hit it feels for illustration it's coming retired mean pace.

"Bowling accelerated is awesome."

The Ashes

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