When Matthew Hoggard claimed his 200th Test wicket a fortnight ago, he collapsed to the ground giddy with laughter. A modest smile surfaced on the face of this humble character as he was mobbed by his teammates. His teammates recognise his importance in the team as a successful new ball bowler, but not many cricket fans do.
When most fans think of fast bowling, they think of the fireworks of the superb Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and Steve Harmison - all of whom can bowl more than 90 mph. Often overlooked is the underestimated Hoggard, who plods back to his mark, before running in with his blond mane flopping in the wind to deliver out swingers on a consistent line and length at 80 mph. For variety, he might shape the ball away, before it lands on the seam and moves in.
Heading into the second Test match against Sri Lanka, Hoggard was fifth on the Test bowling rankings, and was also England's highest rated bowler. It's astonishing to wonder why he is often not mentioned as among the best bowlers in the world, why he always seems to slip under the surface.
Perhaps part of the reason is his slightly dopey exterior, with his white sunhat covering a mop of hair. Or his rather strange stories of taking imaginary dogs for imaginary walks. Or perhaps because he does not possess the speed of a Flintoff or a Jones. Regardless, he has improved a lot over the years and is now a genuine world class bowler.
Matthew Hoggard has taken 19 wickets at 19.42 so far this season, and he took 58 wickets at 26.10 last season. He has in total 203 Test wickets at 29.07 from 52 matches.
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