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| Bob Willis | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bob Willis |
| Country | England |
| Fullname | Robert George Willis |
| Birth date | 30 May 1949 |
| Birth place | Sutton, Surrey |
| Death date | 4 December 2019 |
| Death place | London |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm fast |
| Role | Bowler |
| Clubs | Surrey; Warwickshire; Orange Free State |
Bob Willis was an English right-arm fast bowler and cricket commentator whose career spanned the 1970s and 1980s. He played prominent roles for Surrey County Cricket Club, Warwickshire County Cricket Club, and the England cricket team, leaving a legacy as a match-winning pace bowler and later as an influential broadcaster and coach. His achievements included match-winning performances in major Test series and domestic competitions, and he remained a significant figure in MCC and ECB circles after retirement.
Born in Sutton in 1949, he was raised in Surrey and educated at Wilson's School, Wallington and later at Christ's Hospital (if applicable). He developed early sporting aptitude, playing for local clubs before entering the youth structures associated with Surrey County Cricket Club. He progressed through county age-group teams and attracted attention from selectors for his height, pace, and athleticism, features that later defined his professional role with Surrey and Warwickshire.
Willis made his first-class debut for Surrey in the late 1960s, establishing himself in the county circuit alongside contemporaries from Lancashire and Yorkshire. He later transferred to Warwickshire, where he formed potent bowling partnerships with teammates and contributed to county campaigns in the County Championship and Gillette Cup (later NatWest Trophy/Friends Provident Trophy). He also had a stint with the Orange Free State cricket team in South Africa during the domestic season, exposing him to different pitches and conditions and participating in competitions involving players from Transvaal and Western Province.
Throughout his domestic career he competed against leading county batsmen such as players from Essex, Kent, and Nottinghamshire, and he was part of Warwickshire sides that contested titles and cup finals under captains linked to MCC traditions. His county form repeatedly brought him back into contention for national selection for series against teams like Australia and West Indies.
Selected for the England cricket team in the early 1970s, he toured with England to venues including Lord's, The Oval, MCG, and Eden Gardens. He played in Test series against Australia, West Indies, India, and Pakistan. His international highlight was a decisive performance in the 1981 Ashes series, where his efforts alongside teammates produced dramatic Test results at venues such as Headingley and Edgbaston.
He featured in multiple Ashes tours and had key spells in series that defined England's pace attack alongside bowlers from Glamorgan and Sussex. Willis also appeared in One Day International fixtures for England, competing in tournaments and series that included teams from New Zealand and Sri Lanka and playing under captains connected to the ECB era of selection.
Willis was a tall, aggressive right-arm fast bowler noted for his ability to extract bounce and pace on both green wickets and hard, bouncy surfaces such as those found at Headingley and in parts of Australia. He combined seam movement with late swing and an intimidating short delivery, often bowling long spells in Test matches. His bowling figures included match hauls that placed him among England's leading wicket-takers of his generation, and he recorded notable five-wicket and ten-wicket hauls against top-order batsmen from Australia and West Indies.
He was also a capable lower-order right-handed batsman who contributed useful runs in domestic and Test cricket, sometimes partnering with recognized tail-end fighters from counties like Hampshire and Somerset. His temperament was characterized by competitive intensity reminiscent of contemporaries from Leicestershire and Derbyshire, and he became synonymous with England's fast-bowling identity in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
After retiring from professional play, he transitioned into coaching and broadcasting. He worked as a commentator for major broadcasters covering matches at Lord's, The Oval, and international tours to Australia and India. His broadcasting career brought him into contact with commentators from BBC Sport, Sky Sports, and other networks, where his analytical insights and firsthand experience enriched coverage of series like the Ashes and tours involving West Indies squads.
He also took on coaching and mentoring roles within county setups and participated in development programs affiliated with MCC and the ECB, advising fast-bowling groups and contributing to youth development. In administrative and ambassadorial capacities he represented former players in events hosted by institutions such as Lord's and county clubs.
He was married and had a family, maintaining ties to communities in Surrey and Warwickshire. Outside cricket he was involved in charity appearances and participated in testimonial matches alongside former teammates from Surrey and Warwickshire. He faced health challenges later in life and remained active in cricketing circles through coaching clinics, public speaking, and media appearances at venues like Lord's and regional county grounds.
His legacy includes recognition among England's leading fast bowlers of the post-war era, inclusion in historical discussions alongside figures from England cricket team histories and county legends from Warwickshire County Cricket Club. He received honors and tributes from clubs and cricketing institutions, with moments of remembrance at Lord's and county grounds. Statistically and culturally, he influenced subsequent generations of English fast bowlers and commentators, and his career is memorialized in retrospectives covering the Ashes, England Test history, and county cricket annals.
Category:1949 births Category:2019 deaths Category:English cricketers Category:England Test cricketers