Speed is what makes aggressive cricket so exciting. Fans sit on the edge of their seats when a fast bowler starts his run-up. The anticipation builds with every stride. The sight of stumps flying out of the ground gives fans a rush that few other sports can match.
For decades, bowlers have pushed their bodies to the limit to hurl a leather ball at terrifying speeds. Modern technology tracks every ball perfectly now. Even so, every pace bowler still dreams of bowling the fastest ball in cricket history.
This chase takes raw power and perfect rhythm. It also takes a real obsession with speed. Many have tried to break the 100 mph barrier. Only a few have officially done it in international cricket.
The record holder stands alone at the top. People always associate him with extreme pace and a fiery attitude. Shoaib Akhtar, the Rawalpindi Express, bowled the fastest ball ever at 161.3 kph (100.2 mph) during the 2003 World Cup. That record still stands today.
Key Takeaways:
- Shoaib Akhtar holds the world record with a delivery clocking 161.3 kph.
- Only three bowlers have officially broken the 100 mph barrier: Akhtar, Brett Lee, and Shaun Tait.
- Mitchell Starc holds the record for the fastest delivery in Test cricket at 160.4 kph.
- Jeff Thomson’s 1976 record remains a legendary benchmark from the years before digital tracking.
List of the Fastest Balls in Cricket in History
5. Mitchell Starc – 160.4 kph (99.7 mph)
Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc made history on November 15, 2015. It happened at the WACA ground in Perth. Historians and fans know this stadium for its bounce and carry. Australia faced New Zealand in the second Test of the series.
The conditions were perfect for fast bowling. Starc steamed in during the 89th over of New Zealand’s innings. He fired a thunderbolt at Ross Taylor. The speed gun clocked it at a staggering 160.4 kph. This stands as the fastest delivery officials have ever recorded in Test cricket.
Taylor managed to block the ball. Still, the crowd at the WACA went wild when the numbers flashed on the big screen. Starc has been fast throughout his career. He often swings the ball late to trap batsmen in front of the stumps. The left-armers’ unique, whippy action helps him get plenty of pace through the air.
That afternoon in Perth, he pushed himself to the absolute limit. Most fast bowlers slow down as a Test match goes on. However, Starc found an extra gear late in the game. This delivery proved he was one of the best fast bowlers of his time. He focuses more on swing than raw speed these days. However, that moment in Perth showed Starc has the engine to hit the 160 kph mark.
Also Read, 6-Ball, 6-Wicket Record List
4. Jeff Thomson – 160.6 kph (99.8 mph)
Cricket historians often call Jeff Thomson the most terrifying bowler to ever play the game. His unique slingshot action created a scary amount of bounce. This frightened even the best batsmen of the 1970s. Thomson didn’t use a long, traditional run-up.
Instead, he got all his power right at the crease. He hit his fastest official speed of 160.6 kph during a study at the WACA in 1976. High-speed cameras and timing gear caught the feat. This proved what batsmen had been saying for years. Many players from that time, including Viv Richards, swear that Thomson bowled even faster during actual matches.
Thomson loved to intimidate his opponents. He openly said he wanted to hit the batsmen rather than the stumps. His partnership with Dennis Lillee was a nightmare for other teams. It was likely the most dangerous pair Australia ever had.
That 1976 recording was the standard for decades. This was long before speed guns were everywhere. Even now, fans argue that Thommo was probably faster than modern bowlers at his peak. His 160.6 kph delivery shows just how much natural power he had. Thomson did this without modern gyms or sports science. He just ran in and threw the ball as hard as he could.
3. Shaun Tait – 161.1 kph (100.1 mph)
Shaun Tait was known as The Wild Thing. His bowling action didn’t look like anything in the coaching books. He got his power from a short, strong run-up and a jerky release. Tait often chose speed over accuracy.
This made him a nightmare for batsmen because they never knew exactly where the ball was going. He hit 161.1 kph against England in 2010 at Lord’s. That ball showed how he could break a game open in an instant. Tait was always over 150 kph. However, his body struggled to keep up with that kind of effort.
Injuries eventually slowed him down. He had to stop playing long-form cricket early to focus on the shorter versions of the game. Even so, his best years gave fans some of the most exciting fast bowling ever seen. Tait wanted to blow teams away.
His record speed proved he was one of the true greats. That ball at Lord’s was past the batsman before he could even move his hands. Tait joined Brett Lee as the only other Australian to officially hit 100 mph. People often wonder how much more he could have done without the injuries.
2. Brett Lee – 161.1 kph (100.1 mph)
Brett Lee was incredibly athletic and had a classic, smooth bowling action. He arrived on the international scene in 1999. He immediately started scaring batsmen with his pace. Lee hit his top speed of 161.1 kph against New Zealand in 2005.
He bowled that ball to Craig Cumming, who could only watch a white blur fly past him. Lee spent his whole career trying to be the fastest bowler in history. He often pushed himself until his body nearly broke. His rivalry with Shoaib Akhtar was a great era for the sport. Fans still talk about those battles today.
Lee was different because he usually had a smile on his face, even while bowling mean bouncers. He had the energy to bowl fast all day long. His 161.1 kph ball came while he was at the top of his game. The Aussie pacer was constantly over 155 kph.
This forced batsmen to stay on the defensive. Lee’s technique allowed him to snap his wrist and transfer all his energy into the ball. He became a superstar not just for his speed, but for how much he loved the game. That delivery in Napier made him the joint-second fastest bowler ever, right alongside Shaun Tait.
1. Shoaib Akhtar – 161.3 kph (100.2 mph)
Shoaib Akhtar is still number one on this list. The Pakistani pacer bowled the fastest ball ever recorded during the 2003 World Cup. The match was in Cape Town, and the crowd was buzzing. Akhtar ran in to bowl to England’s Nick Knight.
The speed gun showed 161.3 kph (100.2 mph) the moment the ball left his hand. This was a huge moment because it was the first time anyone officially broke the 100 mph mark in an international game. Akhtar used his whole body and a very flexible arm to generate that force.
He used to say his run-up felt like a jet taking off. Akhtar lived for the rush of bowling fast and scaring the world’s best players. He had been close to the record for years, and he finally did it on the world stage. The stadium erupted when they saw the number on the big screen.
Even Nick Knight looked confused by how fast the ball reached him. Akhtar had a career full of ups and downs. Still, no one can argue with his speed. The Pakistani pacer holds the world record, and 20 years later, no one has beaten it. He is still the king of speed.
Final Take:
Fans are still obsessed with extreme speed. New bowlers like Umran Malik and Anrich Nortje are trying to climb the list. However, for now, Shoaib Akhtar’s 161.3 kph record is safe. That ball represents the absolute limit of what a human can do on a cricket pitch.
Mitchell Starc has also shown that you can still bowl at incredible speeds in Test matches. These records give the sport its legends. They inspire the next kid to run in and try to bowl just a little bit faster.
