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We are now just about halfway through the group stages of World Cup 2019 and as promised, the tournament has produced some exciting cricket so far. Though rain played spoilsport on quite a few occasions, there was no shortage of fun and excitement. In a format dominated by batsmen, bowlers have had a fair share of say in the tournament thus far.
Pace has made a lot of difference as bowlers have clocked speeds of over 150 kph and have terrorized batsmen with bounce and swing. Fast bowlers, in particular, have enjoyed a remarkable 2019 World Cup up until now. Right from the opening game, fast bowlers have found a lot of success with the new ball and that is a direct result of extreme pace and hitting the right lengths.
The West Indies pacers demolished Pakistan for 105 in 21.4 overs early in the tournament and New Zealand seamers dismissed Sri Lanka for 136 in 29.2 overs, two games in which the pacers made the most difference.
On that note, let us take a look at the five fastest bowlers in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 thus far.
#5 Kagiso Rabada, South Africa
Kagiso Rabada is one of the best fast bowlers in world cricket at the moment. He was phenomenal in the recently concluded Indian Premier League and carried on his good form to England. In four innings at the mega event, Kagiso Rabada has picked up five wickets at an economy rate of 5.21.
The 24-year-old has consistently bowled over 145 kph and even went close to 150 kph on occasions. Though he ended up on the losing side in three out of five games, his ability to trouble the batsmen with pace and bounce has clearly been on display in the tournament so far.
Also read – Most catches in world cup
#4 Lockie Ferguson, New Zealand
Before the World Cup started, Lockie Ferguson was the bowler with the highest average speed (~90mph) in One Day Internationals this year. The Kiwi fast bowler has picked up eight wickets in just three games from the tournament so far.
He has clocked in some great speeds and has consistently hit the 145 kph mark. He brings the X-factor to New Zealand bowling attack and will be a bowler to look out for with respect to the rest of the tournament.
#3 Mark Wood, England
Mark Wood holds the record for the fastest ball of the tournament so far at 95.6 mph. Mark Wood has struggled a lot throughout his career because of injuries but hasn't compromised on the pace.
He has consistently cranked up the pace around 90 mph in the tournament and has troubled a lot of quality batsmen. Wood's pace has added an extra dimension to England's bowling attack, which also has Jofra Archer in its ranks.
#2 Mitchell Starc, Australia
Arguably the fastest bowler in world cricket right now, Mitchell Starc bowled a 160.4 kph delivery to Ross Taylor during a test match against New Zealand at WACA, Perth, a few years ago. Up until now, it still remains the fastest ball ever bowled in a Test.
On his return from injury, Starc is beginning to show why he is one of the best limited-overs bowlers and is the spearhead of the Australian pace attack for the World Cup 2019. He has clocked speeds of over 150 kph in the ongoing World Cup and his ability to swing the ball at a lively pace makes him an asset to the Australian team.
#1 Jofra Archer, England
The English seamer is making the headlines for the right reasons. Nowhere near the international arena a year ago, Jofra Archer has stamped his authority in the mega event and has been phenomenal for England in the World Cup.
Archer recorded an average speed of 146 kph in the encounter against Bangladesh in Cardiff a few days ago. Archer's fastest ball of the tournament has clocked around 153 kph and his zip and extra bounce will be a key feature of his presence in the England bowling line-up.
Honourable Mentions: Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, Wahab Riaz, and Oshane Thomas.
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