Speed men suffer rough ride

Speed kings: Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar

BBC Sport Online's Robin Scott-Elliot watches a difficult day for the two quickest bowlers in the world.

In sport, speed thrills. From Formula One to football it demands attention and nowhere more so than in cricket.

WG Grace may have grumbled about spectators attending to watch him bat rather than any impudent bowler, but the excitement conjured by the sight of a fast bowler hurtling in enthrals like little else in the game.

From Larwood and Bodyline, to Lillee and Thomson and Clive Lloyd's merciless quartets in the 80s, bowlers have become faster and faster to leave batsmen ducking and diving more often than Del Boy.

Spin may have enjoyed a Warne-inspired revival in the 90s, but now the foot's back on the accelerator.

Lee was not at full pace

This English season is set to be the summer of seam. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Glenn McGrath, Darren Gough, Jason Gillespie and Andrew Caddick are all jostling for attention and wickets.

But the prospect that really excites is the chance to view potentially the two quickest bowlers the world has ever seen.

Either Brett Lee or Shoaib Akhtar is expected to become the first man to record a speed of 100mph.

Both carry the usual baggage for a modern-day quickie, questions over their actions and the back injury without which membership of the fast bowling union would probably be turned down.

Lee spent 13 weeks in a back brace while he was 18, before suffering his elbow injury, while Shoaib's career has raced from injury to injury.

Lee has a classical action

At Cardiff they both made it on to the field, albeit thanks to injuries to others.

And that is where it all started to go wrong.

It was the first time Lee had played since fracturing his elbow in a one-day international against Zimbabwe in February and it showed.

No bowler has been so eagerly awaited since Warne first arrived in England. Steve Waugh has called him a 'once in a generation' player, while Graham Gooch has been similarly effusive.

But Sophia Gardens is not often a surface to suit the quick bowler, especially one still short of fitness.

Lee's first ball, a loosener, was recorded at 75.6 mph and he soon moved up into the 80s. His best ever is 97.5 with Shoaib around the same pace, but that was never a target for the Australian in Cardiff.

He struck with his eighth delivery and after bowling a maiden in his third over, appeared to easing back into his brisk stride.

Shoaib troubled the batsmen early on

He has a straight, accelerating approach to the wicket, similar in many ways to Shoaib but less frantic. As he moves into the final few strides his face tightens in concentration before he delivers with a high, classical action.

But he never approached full pace and as the Pakistan batsmen swung out, the 24-year-old from Wollongong suffered.

That extra yard that marks him out was not there and the runs flowed, 85 in all from his ten overs - the most expensive ever by an Australian.

It was a gruelling return, but it appeared to pump up Shoaib even more. Here was his chance to show who was number one.

The so-called Rawalpindi Express worked up a ferocious head of steam, galloping up to the wicket like some demented Derby favourite accompanied by a crescendo of blaring horns. His third ball, delivered with an explosive grunt, whistled past the batsman at 94 mph.

His second over began with a ball at 95.1 and the next was a remarkable 97.7, reportedly his quickest ever and marginally ahead of Lee's best. A startled Adam Gilchrist fell to the next, simply beaten for pace.

The crowd roared their acclaim, Shoaib roared at Gilchrist and Michael Holding took on a Trueman-like air to question the accuracy of the speed gun.

That was to prove the peak. It was all downhill from there, quickly.

But he was not at full fitness either

Ricky Ponting hammered two successive boundaries, Mark Waugh joined in and Shoaib, who it turned out is struggling with illness, limped to the pavilion with the bruising figures of one for 41 from five overs.

On Pakistan's last tour to Australia, the two had spent some time together - 'hanging out and listening to music' according to Shoaib.

Neither had much to sing about in Cardiff, but their time will surely come again. Just don't blink.