The Fastest Bowler You’ve Never Heard Of : Raise Hell

AUSTRALIA : In the golden age of 1990s fast bowling, there was one name that could have topped them all: Duncan Spencer. A man born in Lancashire but raised in Perth, Spencer possessed a pace so potent that cricket legends like Sir Viv Richards and Ricky Ponting rated him among the quickest they ever faced. Yet, chronic injuries and a controversial drugs ban meant Spencer became the fastest bowler neither England nor Australia ever capped.

At his peak, Spencer was described by Western Australia contemporary Ryan Campbell as “ridiculously and frighteningly fast.” Despite his relatively short stature (5ft 8in), former Australia international Tom Moody likened him to having a “V8 engine in a Mini Minor,” a physical combination that produced explosive, career-threatening speed.

Spencer’s raw power was showcased during a 1993 Sunday League final for Kent against Glamorgan. Facing the legendary Sir Viv Richards in his final List A match, Spencer delivered a ferocious spell that is still talked about today. Without a helmet, Richards took a ball in the chest, prompting him to spit out his chewing gum in discomfort.

Recounting the duel, Spencer recalled Richards’ high praise: “I walked into the changing rooms and he said ‘Man, that was serious pace, boy’. He said ‘That’s a slow wicket and it was seriously quick’.”

His temper matched his pace. Two months later, playing for Western Australia against Tasmania, Spencer engaged in an on-pitch altercation with a young Ricky Ponting, who was nearing a century. After a sustained volley of hostile bowling and words, the two almost came to blows before being separated by teammates and umpires.

Spencer’s body began to fail him early, requiring his first back operation at the age of 17. His professional career abruptly halted in 1994 when he collapsed during a game, leading him to return home and take prescription steroids simply to cope with the excruciating pain of normal life.

The desire to play led him back to the pitch, culminating in a comeback for Western Australia in 1998. However, a post-match drug test revealed the residual steroids in his system, resulting in an 18-month ban—the first cricketer in Australia to be sanctioned under anti-doping laws.

The ban, Spencer says, cost him a return to county cricket, despite feeling he was “absolutely hammered as a punishment.”

His final return came five years later on a trial with Sussex at the age of 34, where he fittingly claimed the wicket of Sri Lankan star Kumar Sangakkara before stepping away for good. Now settled in Perth and working in the mines, Spencer reflects on his brief, thrilling career: “Bowling fast is awesome.”