New Zealand’s well-deserved win in the World Test Championship [WTC] final, highlighted an accepted adage in cricket; pace bowling rules. Their pace quartet made possible their presence in the final. Then in the prolonged battle with India for supremacy, the pace bowlers led the last day victory charge. Such was the influence of the New Zealand attack that there was even a comparison with the formidable West Indies quartets that ruled from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s.

WI quartet wins hands down

To my mind, the best combination of those fearsome quartets was Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Joel Garner. If it’s pace you’re talking about the West Indies quartet wins hands down. However, if you look purely at results the New Zealand four take the prize; five matches together for a 100 per cent winning record. That West Indian combination only played together in six matches and while never beaten, they were held to three draws.