Dennis Lillee - Machismo personified

Dennis Lillee

Rarely does see fast bowling as it is supposed to be – the bowler charging in like a crazed bull, his long, flowing mane billowing out behind him, his face contorted in an angry snarl as he bounds up to the bowling crease and unleashes a thunderbolt at the batsman at the other end.

If, by chance, the hapless willow-wielder avoids being hit, the destroyer fires in a glare that would curdle fresh milk, followed by a short-pitched delivery right into the batsman’s ribs.

That’s what most batsmen would go through when facing Dennis Keith Lillee in full flow.

Born in 1949 in the western suburb of Subiaco at Perth, Western Australia, Dennis was steeped in cricket from an early age. At the age of 12, he went to see a game of cricket where the giant West Indian speedster Wes Hall was bowling for Queensland. Mesmerized by the speed and aggression of the Caribbean pacer, the young lad began dreaming of bowling like his idol.

He worked on the basics in the backyard of his family home with his father Keith and younger brother Trevor. A lucky miss by his brother during those backyard games was followed by a round of verbal threats, and then by a short, fast one into the ribs.

According to the man himself: “To take wickets, you’ve practically got to hate the batsman. I think of batsmen as thieves, trying to steal runs from me.“

Perhaps it was only fitting that Lillee became a complete fast bowler when he added his brand of aggression to his game. At the age of 20, the young tearaway made his first-class debut for Western Australia in the 1969-70 season. Though he was gangly and inclined to spray the ball around, he impressed everyone with his raw pace.

Lillee burst on to the international scene during the sixth Test of the 1970-71 Ashes series against England. He removed opener John Eldrich for a well-made 130, caught by teammate Keith Stackpole, to bag his first Test wicket. A bundle of youthful aggression, Dennis disposed of five English “thieves” in the first innings, as Australia went on to draw the match courtesy centuries from Stackpole and Ian Chappell – the latter would go on to captain the Kangaroos and become Lillee’s close friend.

The rookie pacer’s unbridled, free-flowing bowling approach instantly appealed to the Aussie crowds, despite the fact that he went wicket-less in the second innings.

The seventh Test of the same series was the first instance of “caught Marsh, bowled Lillee” – the batsman on the receiving end was John Hampshire. Wicket-keeper Rodney Marsh would go on to have a long-standing association with the young pacer, both on and off the field. Despite Lillee producing another fine display of bowling, England went on to win by 62 runs and reclaimed the Ashes.

However, the match that made Lillee famous was his inspired spell of 8/29 against Garry Sobers’ World XI. Having bowled four overs, he asked his captain Chappell for a rest, but urged on by the skipper to try “just another couple“, the fiery bowler knocked over six more wickets with his next 15 inspired deliveries.

The crowd went ballistic, chanting: “Lill-ee! Lill-ee!” - a chant that would be repeated whenever Dennis bowled in future matches. It also highlighted his growing rise to stardom, and his elevation as the strike bowler for both his national team as well as his state side.

Australian cricketer Dennis Lillee talks to officials about his illegal aluminium bat during the first Test against England at Perth, December 1979. Lillee eventually reverted to using a traditional wooden bat.

But all that changed in February 1973.

Adversity is something we must all face. Your degree of success depends on how you choose to react to adverse situations. For cricketers, particularly pace bowlers, there’s always a constant battle with injuries of the back. Lillee was no exception.

On a hot afternoon in the West Indies, as he was sending down a full-speed delivery, his back caved in completely. He doubled up, unable to continue. Australia’s most energetic, exciting player had been cut down in his prime. Diagnosed with three stress fractures of the lower vertebrae caused by the violence of his bowling action, the then-23-year-old youngster spent six weeks wearing a plaster cast covering his entire torso.

It seemed like the end of the road for Lillee – he could not even bathe or dress himself without help. His bowling days seemed to be over, and after the cast was removed, he played club cricket in Perth as a specialist batsman. Doctors were even worried that he would struggle to lead a normal, healthy life. In short, things were looking bleak.

And then Lillee’s fast-bowling philosophy went to work. He reasoned that even if he had to die, he would do it on the 22-yard strip where he plied his trade. Against all odds, he set himself the task of returning to top-flight cricket.

Dr. Frank Pyke, a noted sports scientist, became his chief medical consultant. Under Pyke’s guidance, Lillee healed well, and marked his return to cricket in the 1974-75 Ashes series, having re-modelled his bowling action. The once-lanky bowler, now with a more powerful frame, marked an “X” on England all-rounder Tony Greig‘s forehead ahead of the first Test in Brisbane; an inspired Australia, buoyed by his return and the emergence of Jeff Thomson, went on to wallop the Poms 4-1. Lill-ee had returned.

Other quills will speak of his triumphs on the cricket field, most notably his 10-wicket haul in the famous Boxing Day Test of 1981 against the mighty West Indies.

Western Australia will remember him for galvanizing his side to a 15-run win over Queensland, defending a small target of 77. Lillee sometimes took showmanship a bit too far – characterized by his use of an aluminium bat at the WACA Test with England or getting into a needless controversy with Pakistan’s Javed Miandad. He was also a big draw at the Kerry Packer-orchestrated World Series Cricket, and he signed off from international cricket in style, with a wicket off his last delivery in Test cricket – completing 355 dismissals in that arena.

Instrumental in setting up the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, Lillee has mentored many international stars during his 25-year long stint with this academy. He would also bowl to cricket teams touring Australia as part of the ACB Chairman’s XI till 1999-2000, where he partnered with his son Adam.

Gaining a formidable reputation as a fast-bowling coach, he even guided a struggling Brett Lee – considered by most Australians to be Lillee’s natural successor – back into form and the national reckoning when the bowler was going through a slump.

Today, as he turns 64, Dennis Keith Lillee still remains one of cricket’s colossal figures. Happy birthday mate!