Really sad news today to hear of the death of Bob Willis from prostate cancer at just 70. Brilliant bowler for England and he was still on Sky until very recently.

Sad news. I enjoyed listening to Willis. A very good pundit and clearly a great cricketer in his time.

Probably the first England fast bowler I can remember. And I can recall sitting on the field at school with a radio listening to the Aussie wickets tumbling at Headingley in 1981. 8-43. What figures.

Terribly sad news to hear on the drive home from work this evening. RIP RGD Willis

Great character and super bowler for England!
Unforgettable performance by him in the Headingley Test match 1981...it should have been referred to the Botham/Willis test!

RIP Bob

claretblue wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:00 pm

Great character and super bowler for England!
Unforgettable performance by him in the Headingley Test match 1981...it should have been referred to the Botham/Willis test!

RIP Bob

Sad news at a relatively young age,totally agree Bob's achievements at Headingley are often overshadowed by Botham,but even after Beefy's batting heroics,the Aussies still had a low target to chase and he rolled them over single-handed.

RIP Bob

His bowling that day at Headingley was absolutely sensational

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:12 pm

Sad news at a relatively young age,totally agree Bob's achievements at Headingley are often overshadowed by Botham,but even after Beefy's batting heroics,the Aussies still had a low target to chase and he rolled them over single-handed.

RIP Bob

his bowling was brutal that day!

Sad news - RIP Bob
Makes me so thankful for the testing days set up by Barry Kilby that alerted me to my Prostate Cancer. Another plea for everyone to get a test as soon as you can.

Sad news re Bob Willis. RIP.

I don't know why I was surprised that he was 70. But, yes, it is more than 38 summers since the Headingley test.

Yes RIP Bob.
A big surprise as he's been on Sky cricket programmes fairly recently & I was unaware of any illness.

As per many others I well remember the 1981 ashes series. Having been on the 1st (lost) test at Trent Bridge (got married at 10.00 at Nottingham registry office before the 2nd day's play and took my bride and 2 witnesses down the match for the day). I was decorating a spare bedroom during that 3rd test final day listening to the radio, going mental as the wickets fell.
R G D Willis: 15.1 overs, 3 maidens, 43 runs 8 wickets.

A hero of mine growing up. Playing cricket as a kid I always wanted to bowl like him. His run up was way too long to emulate effectively as a kid mind....

RIP Bob

Just about old enough to remember bob willis, although im not a great cricket fan, I do remember him as a very iconic player with great style and enthusiasm for the game he loved.

Who didn't imitate his run up

Good BBC Podcast made tonight with Mike Brearley

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07wy8jl

also David Gower and Vic Marks

Very sad indeed!.......I too was surprised to hear he was 70.
His bowling that day was ferocious...right on top of them...just awesome..RIP.

R. I. P Bob.
Headingly, '81, is one of my all time favourite sporting memories.

Was absolutely stunned to read of Bob Willis passing. Great England fast bowler, 2nd only to Sir Fred imo-I can pay him no finer accolade. He'll mainly be remembered for his major contribution to the 1981 Headingley test, without which we wouldn't have won. He was also a good watchable pundit, especially on The Verdict. Very sad RIP Bob.

Bothams ashes...would never have happened but for Bob Willis...rest easy Dylan.

The crowd roaring Willis on that day at Headingly were something else . A sad loss

It's been referred to a number of times on this thread but I was fortunate enough to see every delivery on that final day at Leeds in 1981 for what has to be the most sensational recovery ever in test cricket.

We'd had

Australia 401/9 declared
England 174 & 356 (after being 135/7 in the second innings)

and then this


J Dyson c Taylor b Willis 34
GM Wood c Taylor b Botham 10
TM Chappell c Taylor b Willis 8
KJ Hughes c Botham b Willis 0
GN Yallop c Gatting b Willis 0
AR Border b Old 0
RW Marsh c Dilley b Willis 4
RJ Bright b Willis 19
GF Lawson c Taylor b Willis 1
DK Lillee c Gatting b Willis 17
TM Alderman not out 0
Extras 18
Total 111

Forget the other bowlers
RGD Willis 15.1-3-43-8

and one of the finest bowling performances I've ever seen

Who was it in the English test side,that when a game was petering out to a draw did an impersonation of Willis bowling,with his extra long curved run up...think he did other bowlers as well,was quite an accurate impersonation.....or did I dream that

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 05, 2019 11:14 am

Who was it in the English test side,that when a game was petering out to a draw did an impersonation of Willis bowling,with his extra long curved run up...think he did other bowlers as well,was quite an accurate impersonation.....or did I dream that

Was it not Goochy Steve???? I might be mistaken but am sure Gooch used to do something like that...

Bit like John Virgo at the World Championshio Snooker.....

Sad to hear about Bob Willis RIP and thoughts with family and friends...

Bosscat wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 05, 2019 1:37 pm

Was it not Goochy Steve???? I might be mistaken but am sure Gooch used to do something like that...

Bit like John Virgo at the World Championshio Snooker.....

Sad to hear about Bob Willis RIP and thoughts with family and friends...

Spot on buddy ..Gooch it was.

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 05, 2019 11:14 am

Who was it in the English test side,that when a game was petering out to a draw did an impersonation of Willis bowling,with his extra long curved run up...think he did other bowlers as well,was quite an accurate impersonation.....or did I dream that

Thought it was Alistair Cook v India, game bound for a draw, who took his one and only test wicket

Very sad news, indeed. A true fast bowling great.

I always think of Bob Willis and that day whenever I go to Headingley he was a man possessed unbelievable and today on Talksport Lord Archer, whatever you might think of him, paid a magnificent tribute to the great man a legend. RIP

Really sad. A sporting legend.

A reminder also for all middle aged men to get a PSA test. It certainly saved my life, so I consider myself very lucky. Well done BFC with regard to this.