OTD | Former England bowler Bob Willis was born in 1949

Robert George Dylan Willis, fondly known as Bob Wills, who represented England between 1971 and 1984, is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. The right-arm fast bowler has played 90 Test matches and 64 ODIs for The Tree Lions. He is currently England’s fourth-highest wicket-taker (325 wickets), behind James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ian Botham.

Born in Sunderland, County Durham, Wills made his international debut in the longer format of the game in 1971 against Australia. He looked threatening with the long run-up and intriguing bowling action. Wills finished his first test series with 12 wickets at an average of 27.41, helping England win the series 2-1.

His most memorable outing came in the 1981 Ashes when England bounced back after having followed on to register one of the most remarkable victories. His eight wickets in the fourth innings and his brilliant partnership with Ian Botham was the driving force behind the win. 

From his 90 Test matches, Wills had taken 325 wickets at an average of 25.2 with a best bowling figure of 9/92. Meanwhile, he picked up 80 wickets in 64 ODIs at an average of 24.6 and an impressive economy of 3.32. Notably, Wills was a part of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1979 World Cup.

He had to undergo surgeries on both knees as he suffered severe knee injuries from 1975 onwards. Despite the struggle, Wills never gave up and fought back hard to excel on the field. He was the 1978 Wisden Cricketer of the Year.

After retiring from international cricket in 1984, Wills took up the role of Sky. He worked for Sky Sports, mainly commentating on county games. Between 1985 and 1987 he appeared on BBC television’s cricket coverage. The English legend passed away on December 4, 2019, at the age of 70 after a prolonged illness.

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