Editing Curtly Ambrose (section)

{{Short description|Antiguan cricketer}}
{{for|the given name|Curtley (given name)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox cricketer
|                name = Curtly Ambrose
|               image = Curtly ambrose2 crop.jpg
|             country = West Indies
|            fullname =   Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose
|          birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|09|21|df=yes}}
|         birth_place = [[Swetes]], [[Antigua and Barbuda]]
|            heightcm = 201
|             batting = Left-handed
|             bowling = Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast]]
|                role = [[Bowler (cricket)|Bowler]]
|       international = true
|   internationalspan = 1988–2000
|       testdebutdate = 2 April
|       testdebutyear = 1988
|    testdebutagainst = Pakistan
|             testcap = 192
|        lasttestdate = 31 August
|        lasttestyear = 2000
|     lasttestagainst = England
|        odidebutdate = 12 March
|        odidebutyear = 1988
|     odidebutagainst = Pakistan
|              odicap = 53
|         lastodidate = 23 April
|         lastodiyear = 2000
|      lastodiagainst = Pakistan
|               club1 = [[Leeward Islands cricket team|Leeward Islands]]
|               year1 = 1985–2000
|               club3 = [[Antigua and Barbuda national cricket team|Antigua and Barbuda]]
|               year3 = 1998–1999
|               club2 = [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northamptonshire]]
|               year2 = 1989–1996
|  columns = 4 
|  column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]]
|  matches1 = 98 
|  runs1 = 1,439 
|  bat avg1 = 12.40
|  100s/50s1 = 0/1
|  top score1 = 53
|  deliveries1 = 22,103
|  wickets1 = 405
|  bowl avg1 = 20.99
|  fivefor1 = 22
|  tenfor1 = 3
|  best bowling1 = 8/45
|  catches/stumpings1 = 18/0
|  column2 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
|  matches2 = 176
|  runs2 = 639
|  bat avg2 = 10.65
|  100s/50s2 = 0/0
|  top score2 = 31[[not out|*]]
|  deliveries2 = 9,353
|  wickets2 = 225
|  bowl avg2 = 24.12
|  fivefor2 = 4
|  tenfor2 = 0
|  best bowling2 = 5/17
|  catches/stumpings2 = 45/0
|  column3 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
|  matches3 = 239
|  runs3 = 3,448
|  bat avg3 = 13.95
|  100s/50s3 = 0/4
|  top score3 = 78
|  deliveries3 = 48,798
|  wickets3 = 941
|  bowl avg3 = 20.24
|  fivefor3 = 50
|  tenfor3 = 8
|  best bowling3 = 8/45
|  catches/stumpings3 = 88/0
|  column4 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
|  matches4 = 329
|  runs4 = 1,282
|  bat avg4 = 11.98
|  100s/50s4 = 0/0
|  top score4 = 48
|  deliveries4 = 17,143
|  wickets4 = 401
|  bowl avg4 = 23.83
|  fivefor4 = 4
|  tenfor4 = 0
|  best bowling4 = 5/17
|  catches/stumpings4 = 82/0
|  date = 24 October 
|  year = 2012
|  source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/51107.html Cricinfo|
}}

'''Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose''' [[Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda)|KCN]] (born 21 September 1963) is an [[Antigua]]n former [[cricket]]er who played 98 [[Test cricket|Test matches]] for the [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]]. Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest [[Fast bowling#Categorisation of fast bowling|fast bowlers]] of all time, he took 405 Test [[Wicket#Dismissing a batsman|wickets]] at an [[Bowling average|average]] of 20.99 and topped the [[ICC Player Rankings]] for much of his career to be rated the best bowler in the world. His great height—he is {{convert|6|ft|7|in|m}} tall—allowed him to make the ball bounce unusually high after he delivered it; allied to his pace and accuracy, it made him a very difficult bowler for batsmen to face. A man of few words during his career, he was notoriously reluctant to speak to journalists. He was chosen as one of the [[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|''Wisden'']] [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year|Cricketers of the Year]] in 1992; after he retired he was entered into the [[International Cricket Council]] [[ICC Cricket Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] and selected as one of West Indies all-time XI by a panel of experts.

Born in [[Swetes]], [[Antigua]], Ambrose came to cricket at a relatively late age, having preferred basketball in his youth, but quickly made an impression as a fast bowler. Progressing through regional and national teams, he was first chosen for the West Indies in 1988. He was almost immediately successful and remained in the team until his retirement in 2000. On many occasions, his bowling spells were responsible for winning matches for West Indies which seemed lost, in association with [[Courtney Walsh]]. Against [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] in 1993, he bowled one of the greatest bowling spells of all time, when he took seven wickets while conceding a single [[Run (cricket)|run]], hence taking figures of 7/1 for the first spell of the match. Similarly, in 1994 he was largely responsible for bowling [[England cricket team|England]] out for 46 runs, taking six wickets for 24 runs. He is regarded as one of the greatest match-winning bowlers of all time.

Ambrose's bowling method relied on accuracy and conceding few runs; several of his best performances came when he took wickets in quick succession to devastate the opposition. He was particularly successful against leading batsmen. From 1995, Ambrose was increasingly affected by injury, and several times critics claimed that he was no longer effective. However, he continued to take wickets regularly up until his retirement, although he was sometimes less effective in the early matches of a series. In his final years, the West Indies team was in decline and often relied heavily on Ambrose and Walsh; both men often bowled with little support from the other bowlers. Following his retirement, Ambrose has pursued a career in music as the bass guitarist in a [[reggae]] band.