Devon Malcolm facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Devon Malcolm

Personal information
Full name	Devon Eugene Malcolm
Born	(1963-02-22) 22 February 1963 (age 62) Kingston, Jamaica
Height	189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm fast
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	England (1989–1997)
Test debut (cap 539)	10 August 1989 v Australia
Last Test	23 August 1997 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 107)	25 May 1990 v New Zealand
Last ODI	16 February 1994 v West Indies
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1984–1997	Derbyshire
1998–2000	Northamptonshire
2001–2003	Leicestershire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 40 10 304 185 Runs scored 236 9 1,985 313 Batting average 6.05 3.00 7.84 5.21 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/2 0/0 Top score 29 4 51 42 Balls bowled 8,480 526 53,284 8,982 Wickets 128 16 1,054 249 Bowling average 37.09 25.25 30.33 27.61 5 wickets in innings 5 0 46 2 10 wickets in match 2 0 9 0 Best bowling 9/57 3/40 9/57 7/35 Catches/stumpings 7/– 1/– 45/– 21/–
Source: Cricinfo, 11 November 2009

Devon Eugene Malcolm (born 22 February 1963) is a former cricketer who played for England. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and became known as one of the fastest bowlers in the world during his career.

Devon Malcolm played in 40 Test matches and 10 One Day Internationals for England. He was famous for his incredible speed when bowling. One of his best moments was taking nine wickets for only 57 runs in a Test match against South Africa. This is one of the top bowling performances in Test history!

While he was a fantastic bowler, Devon wasn't known for his batting or fielding skills. In fact, his batting was sometimes described as "court-jester standard," meaning it was quite entertaining but not always effective. Despite this, fans loved him, especially when he came out to bat, often hitting big sixes. He was a real crowd favorite!

A graph showing Malcolm's Test career bowling statistics and how they have varied over time.

Devon Malcolm's Cricket Journey

Devon Malcolm was one of the few truly fast bowlers for England in the 1990s. He was born in Jamaica and moved to Sheffield, England, in 1979.

Playing for County Teams

Devon started his professional career with Derbyshire in 1984. He played there until 1997. During his time with Derbyshire, the team won the Refuge Assurance League in 1990 and the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1993. Devon played a key role in these victories.

Later, in 1998, he moved to play for Northamptonshire. Two years after that, he joined Leicestershire, where he played his last professional match in 2003. Even at 38 years old, he was still one of the quickest bowlers in England. He even won a challenge for bowling the fastest ball in a tournament, reaching 89.5 mph (144 km/h)! By the end of his career, he had taken over 1,000 wickets in first-class matches.

Playing for England

Devon Malcolm got his chance to play for England in 1989. This happened because some players chose to go on a special tour, which meant they couldn't play for England at that time. He made his international debut against Australia.

Early International Success

On a tour to the West Indies in 1989-90, Devon made a big impact. He helped England win their first Test match against the West Indies in 16 years! He took five wickets in that game. He continued to perform well, taking 19 wickets in four Tests, making him England's top wicket-taker on that trip.

He also helped England win their next series against New Zealand, taking many wickets. England won a home Test series for the first time in five years, and Devon was named man of the match in one game.

Challenges and Comebacks

Devon continued to play for England, but sometimes struggled with being consistent. He would have amazing performances, like taking six wickets against Australia in 1993, but then might be dropped from the team. Even Steve Waugh, a famous Australian cricketer, said that batsmen found Devon hard to face because he could bowl incredibly fast one moment and then a less accurate ball the next.

"You Guys Are History!"

One of Devon Malcolm's most famous moments happened on 20 August 1994, during a match against South Africa. While he was batting, a fast ball hit him on the helmet. Devon was very angry and famously told the South African players, "You guys are history!"

After that, he bowled with incredible speed and accuracy, taking nine wickets for just 57 runs in South Africa's second innings. This was an amazing display of fast bowling and is still one of the best bowling performances in Test cricket history!

Devon played his last Test match for England against Australia in 1997. He had some disagreements with the England team management towards the end of his career.

Life After Cricket

After retiring from playing cricket, Devon Malcolm started a company. His company sells cricket equipment to schools and clubs all around the world.