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Lol Larwood was 5'7" and about 11 stone.
There hasn't been a quicker English bowler.
Most umpires in his day said you couldn't hear him until he was in his delivery stride.
I love watching those quicks from yesteryear who had the foot drag going on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqjHhnCMCAs
However when it comes to judging the quickest, the change in the no-ball rule undoubtedly disadvantaged the quicks. Very interesting article on the evolution of bowling actions because of the change here with a GIF showing how far ahead of the front foot crease Lindwall bowled from (entirely legally, I hasten to add).
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-05/no-ball-rule-hurting-australias-pace-bowlers/8092284
One interesting aspect was when you put down the landing leg at the crease, you effectively put 3 times your body weight on to the knee cap - hence why so many carry injuries - Obviously Mark Wood is a prime candidate today for trying to stay fit
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/liposuction-rules-shoaib-out-of-tour-20091120-gdtt4b.html
The press are in a bit of a pace obsession right now. Lillee was indeed wonderful in 1981 but Alderman still got more wickets than him with a slower pace but more swing and seam movement.
I expect day 1 of Old Trafford to have hail or sleet, I'm taking my wellies.
He was Larwood mad.
He told me the story that when Notts were bowling at Trent Bridge and Arthur Carr the skipper needed Harold to bowl after
lunch he made him have three pints of bitter and a massive plate of beef sandwiches for lunch.
No noncy electrolyte drinks thank you.
He then presumably had a rub down with a copy of the Sporting Life.
I thought this was all bollocks, but there is a reference to it in Duncan Hamiltons's very good biography of Lol.
Recommended reading.
Personally I think there is a problem with cricket training focusing too much on strength to increase bowling speeds. Look at how the typical centre forward in football has changed to something leaner and then compare the physique of quick guys like Olly Stone or Stuart Meaker compared to Jofra Archer now or Michael Holding. I recall Simon Jones talking about his rehab over the years and he said thathe put on too much bulk, totally the wrong way to go when you have a dodgy knee.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154190.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-6585463/Stuart-Broad-listened-Sir-Richard-Hadlee-Jimmy-Anderson.html
The Hadlee influence is clear on him as his length has been much fuller than usual this year, something he's said he's been working on. It's interesting that Broad says how the spin-friendly scenes of Sri Lanka allowed him to find free time to work on his action. In the past, there was a far less congested international calender so changes in action and general work on bowling could be done far easier and within county matches. When you see the like of Olly Stone break down in the winter, come back into a Test match, and barely bowl outside of that Test match, then it's fair to say that the hours of gym work and rehab hasn't made him fit for bowling regularly.
Hadlee certainly was quicker in the early days as was Lillee. The earliest footage I can find on Youtube of Paddles comes from the March 1974 Test at Christchurch against Australia. Still got the little shuffle but the action is very unrefined compared to how he finished.
Most quick bowlers have a very short 'top pace' era. Most lose it through injury (perhaps most obviously Jeff Thompson), some though lost it through overwork. The smart bowlers are the ones who adapt to injury and the passing of time. People like McGrath, Ambrose and Walsh, all the usual. Fred trueman went through it and learnt about swing.
In the 42 Tests that followed, he snared 231 wickets at 19.25 at a strike rate of 45.7.
Well worth a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpzvw7Y3KzE
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/bowling/most_wickets_series.html?id=1;type=trophy