Introduction: The Rise of a Quiet Speedster
Josh Tongue isn’t your typical pace demon. He doesn’t bowl 95 mph routinely. Instead, his blend of seam movement, aggression, and occasional bursts of genuine pace—touching the high 80s or even 90 mph—makes him a unique asset. With his Test debut in June 2023, he showcased that he can deliver fast—and fast enough to trouble top batsmen.You know about theglobespot, andaazdaily, openrendz and josh tongue fastest ball also Buzzfeed.
This article explores everything about Tongue’s fastest balls: his delivery speed, career context, comparisons, pitch effect, analytics, injuries, and what the future holds.
1. Who Is Josh Tongue?
Josh Charles Tongue, born 15 November 1997 in Redditch, England, stands 6′4″. He bowls right-arm fast-medium. He made noise early in county cricket and earned an England Test debut against Ireland at Lord’s on 1 June 2023 espncricinfo.com+9en.wikipedia.org+9theguardian.com+9.
In that debut, he impressed with 5/66, touching the high 80s and even sailing above 90 mph in spells youtube.com.
2. What Is His Fastest Ball?
Precise speeds are hard to pin down. But in his debut, Tongue “crept over 90 mph” during that opening spell espncricinfo.com.
That qualifies him among the few in England who can cross that threshold—though he isn’t a 90+ mph regular like Mark Wood or Jofra Archer.
3. Why Speed Matters in Test Cricket
3.1 Pressure Creation
Even a hint of extra pace unsettles batsmen. Tongue brings that unpredictability.
3.2 Bounce and Surprise
At 6′4″, his pace results in bounce. Short balls become potent weapons.
3.3 Complementing Swing
He offers a mix of seam, bounce, and pace contrast, ideal in English conditions.
Rob Key, on England cricket’s direction, emphasizes having seamers who bowl 85 mph+ to bridge domestic and Test levels espncricinfo.com+3thetimes.co.uk+3thetimes.co.uk+3thetimes.co.uk+4espncricinfo.com+4thetimes.co.uk+4.
4. Technical Breakdown of His Pace
4.1 Bowling Action
Tongue has an upright, sharp-arm delivery, creating bounce and making his pace feel quicker.
4.2 Seam and Swing
He uses conventional seam and adds late reverse swing when the ball is older—enhanced by speed.
4.3 Occasional Pace Burst
He relies more on rhythm than raw pace. But when needed, he revs up to 90 mph+ .
5. Career Highlights: Fast Ball in Action
5.1 Test Debut vs Ireland
He clocked 90 mph and snagged five wickets. A dream start .
5.2 Ashes Contributions
In the 2023 Ashes, he dismissed David Warner and Steve Smith. Though not sustained 90+, he kept batsmen honest kingcricket.co.uk+9thetimes.co.uk+9espncricinfo.com+9.
5.3 Zimbabwe Match
In May 2025, his pace dipped slightly—he remained in high-80s, aided by Shoaib Bashir and Ben Stokes thetimes.co.uk.
6. Comparing Tongue to Other Seamer Profiles
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Mark Wood: Regularly hits 90+ mph.
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Jofra Archer: Consistent 90s early in career.
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Josh Tongue: High 80s, occasional 90+.
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James Anderson: Mid-80s, swing specialist.
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Stuart Broad: Mid-80s, bounce and seam.
Tongue sits between express and fast-medium, giving England a different threat youtube.com+7kingcricket.co.uk+7espncricinfo.com+7thetimes.co.uk+1theguardian.com+1.
7. Fitness, Injuries, and Pace Potential
7.1 Pectoral and Hamstring Injuries
He suffered a torn pectoral in August 2023 and hamstring damage later. This cut his pace rise .
7.2 Recovery
He returned to bowling by late 2024. His rehab focused on rebuilding pace and strength thetimes.co.uk.
8. Development: County Cricket to International Stage
His standout buffer was in county cricket—196 FC wickets at 26.40 average en.wikipedia.org.
England’s management used iHawk ball-tracking in county matches to monitor his pace espncricinfo.com+2espncricinfo.com+2thetimes.co.uk+2.
9. Strategy for Using His Pace
9.1 Opening Spell
He breaks the ice, aiming for early breakthroughs with bounce and 90 mph bursts.
9.2 Short-Pitched Aggression
Ben Stokes has praised his ability to bowl short ball at pace facebook.com+5theguardian.com+5thetimes.co.uk+5.
9.3 Seam and Swing Work
He blends wicket-taking deliveries with economical lines, making him versatile.
10. Statistical Insights
His pace stats:
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Test: 12 wickets in 3 matches, including a 5-for.
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County: 196 wickets in 56 matches.
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Speeds consistently hit high 80s with peaks above 90 mph theguardian.com.
11. Future Outlook: Can He Boost His Pace?
11.1 Physical Conditioning
Ongoing rehab targets explosive power.
11.2 Technical Improvements
Working with coaches to polish run-up and release.
11.3 Match Exposure
Further Test series and Lions tours are key .
12. Impact on England’s Seam Strategy
England aims to field bowlers above 85 mph regularly thetimes.co.uk.
Tongue fits this plan—bringing a mix of speed, bounce, and adaptability.
13. Community & Expert Reactions
King Cricket joked that having an 85 mph bowler as the “quick one” shows where England’s pace pool currently stands kingcricket.co.uk.
Rob Key praised bowlers with 85+ mph pace like Tongue as vital for future Tests theguardian.com+2thetimes.co.uk+2thetimes.co.uk+2.
14. Challenges Ahead
14.1 Staying Injury Free
Maintaining pace under workload stress is crucial.
14.2 Consistency
Need for more Test overs at full pace.
14.3 Competition
He competes with other speed bowlers like Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse.
15. Final Analysis: Is He England’s Next Speed Bowler?
He offers something unique: a smooth blend of 90 mph potential, seam movement, bounce, and consistency.
If he can maintain fitness and increase pace, he could be a cornerstone of England’s fast-bowling future.
