Former England fast bowler Frank Tyson dies aged 85

Nicknamed "Typhoon", Tyson played 17 tests for England, between 1954 and 1959 capturing 76 wickets

SYDNEY: Frank Tyson, the former England cricketer regarded as one of the fastest bowlers of all time, has died at the age of 85, the BBC reported on Sunday. Tyson passed away at a hospital on Australia's Gold Coast.

He emigrated to Australia after he retired from cricket in 1960, working as a school master, coach, commentator and author.

Nicknamed "Typhoon", Tyson played just 17 tests for England, between 1954 and 1959, but captured 76 wickets at an impressive  average of 18.56.

Arguably his finest performance came in the 1954-55 Ashes  in Australia, when he helped England to a 3-1 series win. After a slow start, Tyson finished the five-match series with 28 wickets, including 10 in the second test in Sydney and career-best innings figures of 7-27 in the third test at Melbourne.

Tyson was born in 1930 in Farnworth, Lancashire and graduated in English literature from Durham University. He played 244 first-class matched between 1952 and 1960, bagging 767 wickets but his unsual bowling action, which enabled to deliver the ball so quickly, took a toll on his body and he retired at age 30.