Out for 70: legendary England cricket captain dies

The global game of cricket mourns after the passing of former England captain and fast bowler Bob Willis, who died following a short illness according to a statement released by his family on Wednesday. He was aged 70.

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The Sunderland-born former England captain led his country between 1982 and 1984 and played in 90 Test matches, with his most memorable performance coming against Australia in the third Ashes match of the series at Headingley in 1981 where he took eight wickets for 43 runs in a devastating display of fast bowling.

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Bob Willis (left) and team-mate David Gower (right) during the 1981 Ashes series at Headingley (Image: England Cricket Board/ Archives).

Legendary England all-rounder, Ian Botham, would later describe Willis as a “tremendous trier, a great team man and an inspiration – the only world-class fast bowler in my time as an England player”. Willis finished his international Test career with 325 wickets, putting him fourth on the all-time list of England’s highest wicket-takers behind James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Botham.

‘We will miss him terribly’

Willis retired in 1984 but not before he had captained England in 18 Tests and 29 One-Day Internationals. He finished with a record of seven wins, five defeats and six draws from his 18 Tests in charge before he was sacked and replaced in the final Test series against the West Indies, in what proved to be his final playing stint for England.

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“We are heartbroken to lose our beloved Bob, who was an incredible husband, father, brother and grandfather,” the Willis family statement read. “He made a huge impact on everybody he knew and we will miss him terribly.” The former international cricketer is survived by his wife Lauren, daughter Katie, brother David and sister Ann.