Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

His absence from Debate was that he was "undoing surgery" according to Charles Colville. Charles was joking with Key about who was going to play the Willis role, doubt if he'd have been doing that if they were aware of the gravity of the situation. Always had the impression that Bob was a very private person.

70 seems to soon for Bob.

Had no idea he was so seriously ill.

Arguably England's best bowler of the post war era.

RIP. Will be missed.

Very sad news. RIP.

westoelad wrote:His absence from Debate was that he was "undoing surgery" according to Charles Colville. Charles was joking with Key about who was going to play the Willis role, doubt if he'd have been doing that if they were aware of the gravity of the situation. Always had the impression that Bob was a very private person.

Apparently he was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago but David Gower was on TV earlier and said that there was a sudden rapid decline in his health.

Blimey.. just saw this on the news. I'm shocked

RIP!

Jeff Shreeves, himself a prostrate cancer sufferer, interrupts the Sky sports football coverage to pay tribute to Bob. Very popular with all in the Sky studio and had time for everyone. The female announcer this afternoon broke down when announcing the news.

westoelad wrote:Jeff Shreeves, himself a prostrate cancer sufferer, interrupts the Sky sports football coverage to pay tribute to Bob. Very popular with all in the Sky studio and had time for everyone. The female announcer this afternoon broke down when announcing the news.

On one of the Bob Dylan message forums there's a post from someone who was sitting next to Willis at a concert and said they had a lovely chat with him and he was very friendly and funny.

westoelad wrote:His absence from Debate was that he was "undoing surgery" according to Charles Colville. Charles was joking with Key about who was going to play the Willis role, doubt if he'd have been doing that if they were aware of the gravity of the situation

Coville has always promoted Bob as a pocket battleship; I remember when Coville had his brief stint on Twitter, I think literally all but one of his posts mentioned that he was looking forward to witnessing Bob throw some hand grenades on the show. Darren Gough made a comment yesterday that he felt mostly for Charles Coville, as him and Bob were apparently very close friends. So I guess the comment was a respectful nod of the hat to an absent friend.

Was deeply saddened to wake up to this news a few days ago. Bob was always one of my favorite cricketers : loved his bowling - and his sometime comical batting - remember him forgetting his bat in one innings when resuming after tea ?. Plus I share his love of Dylan.
I'd suspected he wasn't too well as he looked a bit ragged the last time I saw him on TV but had no idea he was as seriously ill as this.
Some deaths hit you harder than others , and somehow losing Bob has affected me a lot - perhaps partly because we are of an age ? English cricket will certainly remember him fondly - one of their greatest ever fast bowlers : no doubt Harold and Freddie will have a chair and a glass ready for him in cricketers Valhalla.

Thanks for the memories and RIP Bob.

I remember Willis having his own specially made Duncan Fearnley, which had a few holes drilled through the top of the blade, apparently to reduce air resistance. Seemed a lot of trouble to go to for a number eleven (ten if Underwood was playing).

He did have a shot, apart from the defensive curtain rail, a front foot square drive. Like all England specialist bowlers, he did have a fair amount of experience of coming in with the batters shot out for very little and adding more than most with few lucky smears. The Oval in 1977 sticks out. He averaged 11.5, which means he was a bit better than I remember.

I presume he could field a bit because he used to be brought into the gully occasionally, I think in memory of past athleticism. But by the time I watched him, his arm had gone and he was hidden on the furthest boundary.

As a bowler, apart from Headingley, his good work on the Ashes 78-9 tour is salient. He did well in India in 1976, and was a good tourist in general (though he rarely visited the West Indies). The brilliant Ashes series on 77 was a good one for Bob. The classic Willis dismissal was the short of a length ball cramping the batter on the back foot on leg stump with pace and unexpected bounce. I don't remember RGD being all that well appreciated by the press and FST in particular, but I don't recall what that was about.

While Headingley 81 might be considered a burden to his memory in a way because it overshadows all else in a career where he succeeded consistently and against all comers (maybe an asterisk against the WI and his wickets against Packer weakened teams). But Headingley was so glorious it is a burden worth owning. The greatest bowling spell by an England bowler in my 40+ cricket watching years. And the most thrilling experience.

RIP Basil Butcher.

Yes, legendary middle order bat of the fifties and sixties.

Didn't know he was from Guyana. Assumed he was another Barbadian.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Legendary WI batter of the sixties, Seymour Nurse, has died at 85.

That's two of that team this year.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Didn't know he was from Guyana. Assumed he was another Barbadian.

Amerindian, so yeah, has to have been Guyanan. Mike might correct me, but I think Guyana is the only country with any indigenous population left.

World Cup winner Martin Peters has died at 76. The first £200000 man.