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England's calypso king
Wisden CricInfo staff - April 9, 2002
In 46 Tests, Angus Fraser took 177 wickets at an average of 27.32, with 13 five-fors and two ten-fors, both in 1998, against West Indies in Trinidad and South Africa at Trent Bridge. Fraser took a wicket every 61 balls - a strike rate superior to those of Javagal Srinath, Heath Streak and Devon Malcolm - and had an economy rate of 2.67 runs per over.
Fraser was at his best in the Caribbean, where he took 54 wickets at 20.30 in 12 Tests, more than any other visiting bowler. Fraser is also the only touring seamer to take an eight-for in the Caribbean - and he did it twice: 8 for 75 when England stormed the Bridgetown fortress in 1993-94, and 8 for 53 in Trinidad four years later, a match which England lost. (Tony Greig took 8 for 86 in Trinidad in 1973-74, but he was bowling offspin at the time.)
Fraser's first Test wicket was Steve Waugh, bowled at Edgbaston in the third Test in 1989, after Waugh had scored 393 runs in the series without being dismissed. His last was Ian Healy, caught by Dean Headley in the victory at Melbourne in 1998-99.
Healy was one of a distinguished quartet of rabbits for Fraser: he dismissed him, Brian Lara, Richie Richardson and Jimmy Adams seven times.
Fraser's five-fors tended to come in bunches: three in four Tests against West Indies and India in 1990, and three in consecutive innings against South Africa in 1998. They usually brought about an England win too: Fraser took 78 wickets at an average of 16.52 in matches that England won, with nine five-fors, as against 99 at 35.83 in those that they didn't.
During his 10-year Test career, Fraser played 46 and missed 57 Tests, some because of a serious hip problem between 1991 and 1993, others because of selectorial whim. Fraser was not selected for the 1994-95 Ashes tour - though he ended up playing three Tests as a replacement - and did not play between 1995-96 and 1997-98, when he returned with 20 wickets in two Tests in West Indies.
Fraser's highest Test score was 32, made against Sri Lanka at The Oval in 1998, when he added 89 for the last wicket with John Crawley. Despite a Test average of 7.46, Fraser once batted at No. 8 for England - above Steve Watkin, Malcolm and Peter Such - and made 28 and 13 in England's victory over Australia at The Oval in 1993. Fraser averaged 20.75 at The Oval, more than Nasser Hussain (19.42) and Mark Butcher (13.67).
Fraser also played 42 one-day internationals, in which he took 47 wickets at an average of 30.04. His best figures were 4 for 22 against Australia at the MCG in 1994-95.
Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd
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