Bob Willis RIP

[teamsaint]

Very sad to see the passing of the great Bob Willis, a true bowling legend.

When he was in his pomp, which was a long time, there was little to compare with Bob steaming in at full speed.
I certainly used him as a model for my bowling, along with Mike Hendrick. He was wonderful to watch, and can’t have been much fun to face. And he did always seem to match his bowling aggression with a genial on-pitch character.

[DracoM]

[antongould]

Very sad to see the passing of the great Bob Willis, a true bowling legend.

When he was in his pomp, which was a long time, there was little to compare with Bob steaming in at full speed.
I certainly used him as a model for my bowling, along with Mike Hendrick. He was wonderful to watch, and can’t have been much fun to face. And he did always seem to match his bowling aggression with a genial on-pitch character.

A true legend ts ......

[cloughie]

Very sad to see the passing of the great Bob Willis, a true bowling legend.

When he was in his pomp, which was a long time, there was little to compare with Bob steaming in at full speed.
I certainly used him as a model for my bowling, along with Mike Hendrick. He was wonderful to watch, and can’t have been much fun to face. And he did always seem to match his bowling aggression with a genial on-pitch character.

He was the model of how the game should be played, plugged away and never gave up! RIP RGD!

[muzzer]

Yes, agree wholeheartedly, he never gave less than his all. I met him once completely by chance at of all things a Dylan gig at the Albert Hall. I’d nipped to the bar just before half time to beat the rush. Just got a beer, asked the guy next to me what he thought of it so far. “Well, of course, I saw him here in ‘66” came the reply as it dawned on me who it was “and he was pretty good”. I think I managed to add “You must have been pretty impressed, you took his name” before taking my beers away slightly sheepishly. I see from Twitter he was a Wagner fan. Who knew?

One of England’s finest quicks for sure.

[teamsaint]

A true legend ts ......

Back in the day, if I couldn’t be at the Country Ground watching Richards, Greenidge, Marshal, Roberts et al, my idea of a great summer day would be setting in for a day in front of the telly, watching England bowling , with Willis leading the charge. Happy days .

[teamsaint]

Yes, agree wholeheartedly, he never gave less than his all. I met him once completely by chance at of all things a Dylan gig at the Albert Hall. I’d nipped to the bar just before half time to beat the rush. Just got a beer, asked the guy next to me what he thought of it so far. “Well, of course, I saw him here in ‘66” came the reply as it dawned on me who it was “and he was pretty good”. I think I managed to add “You must have been pretty impressed, you took his name” before taking my beers away slightly sheepishly. I see from Twitter he was a Wagner fan. Who knew?

One of England’s finest quicks for sure.

Didn’t know about the Wagner. A friend of mine once spent an evening drinking with him by chance , in a pub near Lords, and only had good things to say about him.

[Historian]

One of the greats. Not just at Headingley in 1981 but a sustained fast bowling career (899 first-claas wickets) over many years. And definitely a sportsman with a hinterland as mentioned above. Also not afraid to tell it how he saw it as a commentator, not just mouthing anodyne platitudes. No great age either.
R.I.P.

[burning dog]

There's a documentary about Dylan where Bob Willis can be seen entering the concert hall. I guess on the '66 tour

[antongould]

Michael Berkeley 's guest today is former England cricket captain and fast bowler
Bob Willis. Music has always played a major role in his life, and his choices include two excerpts from Wagner's Ring cycle, symphonies by Mahler and Shostakovich, and songs by Van Morrison and Bob Dylan.

Private Passions 2001

[gurnemanz]

Michael Berkeley 's guest today is former England cricket captain and fast bowler
Bob Willis. Music has always played a major role in his life, and his choices include two excerpts from Wagner's Ring cycle, symphonies by Mahler and Shostakovich, and songs by Van Morrison and Bob Dylan.

Private Passions 2001

His death was a shock. I felt a real affinity. He was one month older than me and I share his passions.

[ardcarp]

Bob Willis RIP

It's not often that a sports person loves (or admits to loving) 'classical' music.* From today's news, we hear that Bob Willis was a great fan of Wagner operas.

*No doubt forumistas will point out many exceptions!

[antongould]

Don’t know if you can move the appropriate posts on World Cup and Test Cricket 2019 to here ardy...... ????

[DracoM]

And as fine a Siegfried-style fast bowler heroically against the might of the the Great Oz as can be imagined!
But, yes, a very, very fine bowler and one I watched avidly.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Don’t know if you can move the appropriate posts on World Cup and Test Cricket 2019 to here ardy...... ????

As requested.