Slightly off topic but I saw a Sky Sports special on sporting greats - subject Dennis Lillee.
It's amazing to see how that pure animal aggression and bounding, heaving, almost square on, physical run up and delivery of the early days (when he was very very quick) became that beautiful, effortless, side on, textbook fast bowler (after the injury - 4 stress fractures of the back, all in one go. Jesus....).
He became the template for quicks from that point on - a wonderfully refined and slipstreamed example to all (wasn't it Richard Hadlee who modelled himself entirely on the later Lillee?). A magnificent spectacle, even when he'd lost that intial searing pace.
A lovely anecdote from Kim Hughes re facing Lillee in the nets - whenever Hughes (who Lillee had a strained relationship with, to put it mildly) came in, Lillee used to start coming in off his full run up and wing the odd bouncer at his throat..... this one day he got one to fly past Hughes' ear and just flick his hair.... Hughes just carried on and Lillee said "Sorry". Hughes thought "That's nice" until Lillee walked past him and muttered under his breath "Sorry I missed your fucking head, you curly haired wanker"..................