born known english cricketer played surrey northern england right handed aggressive fast bowler notably long run spearheaded england bowling attacks test matches took wickets runs wicket time second currently england fourth leading wicket took class wickets overall onwards bowled constant pain having surgery knees continued find success taking test career best wickets runs ashes series australia time best test bowling performances year addition test arena played day international matches country taking wickets prolific list day cricketer wickets overall bat little impression tail best test score managed half centuries class level time held record number test outs captained england team tests matches june march england won seven lost drew tests won recalled tremendous great team man inspiration world class fast bowler time england player editor wrote similar terms service england reflected great collection test wickets pains spared bowling country retiring test series west_indies found later work commentator formed noted commentary partnership relatively low key style contrast meant onwards tended second string commentator remains heard broadcaster published writer occasional critic modern game early life born county durham grew surrey village near having moved age father employee bbc elder brother named david played cricket garden elder sister added deed poll honour american musician bob_dylan fan educated playing early cricket cricket club later vice president life member seasons avid natural athlete rugby school dominant sport recalled school years winter playing play football school old boys taught drink station life altering lessons bowling potential rewarded selection close friend playing career county debut accepted invitation join middlesex surrey young tour pakistan opportunity skills return early appearances surrey second august years age took wicket runs innings bowled overs second called bat days later faced took wickets played second matches june class debut august scotland touring england season beaten took wickets runs overs innings second help surrey victory innings runs went class wickets season matches placing 15th national averages season county championship surrey came competition year played list games took wicket earned second season surrey played championship matches taking class wickets day wickets surrey came fifth championship year achieved noteworthy performance cup quarter final middlesex high scoring match surrey loss wickets middlesex appeared victory reached turned game collapsed finished took overs won man match award despite surrey preference kept occasions prepared spend winter employed crystal palace recreation centre playing local football club captain vice captain contacted telephone ask travel australia join current england tour knew little knowledge bowling later credited influence senior member touring party long term friend mentor surrey team mate international beginnings joined england tour australia replacement injured played warm matches december records infectious enthusiasm team spirit played small australia downfall england won ashes subsequent test series test january fourth test series played series stood level draws abandonment saw score england batted reached australian innings bowled economical overs runs took wickets reduce australia subsequently unbeaten set australia win routing australia given overs bowl pitch pace managed test wicket caught remained team fifth test melbourne rewarded innings second match drawn final matches took wickets drawn final match series victory sydney cricket ground gave england series victory finished test series wickets taken crucial catches retained second match test series new_zealand march took wickets surrey returned early help surrey win county championship title friction developing club season took championship wickets found unable accept contract offered club county reluctant lose sought club took wickets final match surrey hampshire september turning lancashire signed immediate success wickets including wicket haul taking wickets innings rules applying banned playing new county july helped win championship achieving unusual feat winning championship consecutive years different counties final match season took new team won matches drew lost selected ashes series england travelled south_africa invitation january tour took wickets matches spent season injured recurring complaints managed wickets championship injury barred test west_indies cricket team west_indies amassed declared took wickets runs career best test figures far batsman standing routed england debut games touring september taking scoring england took wicket victory match went conceded runs second west_indies won wickets west_indies indian australia travelled caribbean england winter tour described automatic selection struggle test test february took wicket followed second runs final match struggle west_indies career bowling average ended team returned england face india pakistan playing test india took career best team test best bat pakistan toured early august featured test took wicket runs played took wicket caught bowled pakistan achieved seven wicket victory point suffering recurring injury played championship games season taking wickets including wicket haul november touring australia ashes series playing test matches took test wickets including best class wickets overall playing growing injury concerns required injury operation returned england january recurring knee injury caused collapse county game early season underwent operations correct surgery knees suffered post operative blood forced use season reflected similar mile service recovery particularly requiring daily runs cricket field intensive gym program supervision advocate slow running therapy build stamina played international arena managed class appearances returned healthy wickets return test game faced west_indies matches july august year comfortable return county game injury taking championship wickets scored career best bat coming fit injury brought squad fourth test west_indies july wholesale bowling changes saw replaced ward took wickets runs wicket haul second innings gave career best figures took past test wickets wickets fell balls cost runs described fine piece fast bowling england struggled impression west_indies series dominating runs series wicket fifth final test tourists won easily time injury troubles continuing turned coaching opportunity south_africa order risk fitness went revival india ashes winter england toured india test series december february proved revival recorded india tour time flight doubted right acclaimed world foremost fast took wickets entire tour test matches took second test fourth earning career best test figures far taking past class wickets wickets came overs second new ball received help pitch record wickets series stamped bowler genuine pace class ashes took place tests june august year featured preceding fixtures took total wickets test took place june lord australia batting second looking lead england dismantled returned career best century australia fell wickets match ended draw hostile speed gained praise giving australia real took wickets second test aid restricting australia totals giving england wicket victory fast accurate test wicket haul match debut went england innings victory fourth test took final match including australian wickets series record england fast bowled facing australia england final wicket series 100th test matches county championship appearances wickets included haul gloucestershire august remain best class figures career year ended winter tour pakistan new_zealand took dismissed seven pakistani batsmen runs appear matches new_zealand took wickets including test year championship appearances season taking wickets national averages cup year wickets including wickets runs innings year saw pakistan new_zealand return tour england june august took man series wickets pakistani batsmen including wicket haul second test earned man match award new_zealand took test wickets passed career test wickets test noted achievements australia stating new ball fire power yielded wickets special significance england high summer success england bowler authentic speed comparable record home series australia continued appropriate team personal triumph hand hand players given loyal service england happily determination virtue lack emergence ranking fast bowler truly deserved class matches year taken wickets season career list wickets second highest achieve season praised refusing world series cricket proclaimed cricketer year ashes winter travelled australia season ashes series england won australian team depleted rebel tour tour commenced class fixtures south_australia victoria new south wales queensland bowled deliveries test series taking wickets test december took seven wicket england win took second match december england secured lead run victory following abandoned match boxing day failed wicket australia won test bring series fourth test followed january england took run victory wickets repeat attempted abandoned overs england played class matches second january australia batting routed bowling economic spell overs runs england reached target seven wickets spare fifth test followed picked australia second innings bat balls cameo knock surpassed previous best test score passed class runs sixth final took wicket victory seal series convincingly australian captain opened australian bowling attack old ball effort disrupt english took managed hit runs bat struck early decisive blows tournament struggled rhythm second fifth tests suddenly regained fire rhythm class fixtures tour taken wickets highest average england tail end batting runs world cup england hosted cricket world cup host nation played man squad captain cricketer england warm games played match australia june lord past took wicket runs overs surpassed boycott unlikely bowling hero tournament took reduced chasing england proceeded slowly coming balls reached target overs game canada saw visiting team routed taking man match old taking boycott finished game overs england final group match june saw defeat pakistan runs hit balls help england wicket runs boycott helped england pakistan target england qualified semi finals new_zealand managed chip run balls england reached took single wicket new_zealand match fell injury left field end match knee injury ruled final pakistan defeated semi final england left face west_indies final lord june england winning toss choosing bowl conceded runs innings thanks largely recalls greatest innings boycott reached half centuries hosts dismissed wicket haul falling west_indies secured title missed final took seven wickets competition runs placing fifth bowling average teams economy rate runs fourth best followed injury playing fourth test matches india taking wickets international appearances struggled championship wickets came fifteenth country australia west_indies winter followed summer saw difficult tours world series cup test tour australia followed home series west_indies seven england matches world series cup struggled wickets england secure highest number points beaten finals west_indies midst matches england australia played test matches took wickets going test county position reaffirmed appointed county captain matches england commenced west_indies tour included team second match took wickets catches wicket england victory faced team matches june took wickets runs innings second passing class wickets process man match award given west_indies winning wickets second test draw collected wickets managed match test best score bat fourth test passing test runs process west_indies secured series victory marked improved form wickets fared better year taking wickets taken day wickets season ashes australia arrived england 51st ashes series selected play test matches came series run good county form played county matches commencing yorkshire lancashire june test took place trent bridge nottingham june england batting cut thanks wickets piece passed dismissed ball duck combined reduce australia wickets england advantage shared host nation wickets equally leave australia win took wickets reach test wickets tourists won match wickets spare second tests went face gloucestershire county championship match grabbing wickets returned face australia july second test england batting thanks second half century runs england reached took seven wickets australia surpassed dismissed wickets england suffered balls bowling england declared late game picked wicket australia reached close play captained sacked replaced struggling fitness chest infection dropped sat match speaking given place team condition played match played second game bowled overs nets succeeded tasks tentatively let squad spinner test 60th came july england able level series thanks man match performance seven wickets century half century hostile bowling second innings bowled overs australia innings bat returning bowl australia requiring runs point england quoted win match began inspired bowling performance having requested bowl downhill end australia caught close caught fine leg wicket respectively trying play hook shot caught ball pitched uprooted middle australia bowled losing runs took career best test figures victims zero single figure scores scored removed recalled amazing spell called bowling life place threatened england moved fourth test series batting took england making runs bowled stormy overs devil heels england set australia final target runs took wickets wicket haul dismissed australians handed england run victory series lead played county middlesex fourth fifth tests taking wicket rejoined team fifth england reached thanks partly run late partnership led bowling attack wickets restrict australia century took england setting tourists runs win scored centuries wickets paul dismissed runs short victory continued enjoy form bat interval fifth final tests went august australia england met sixth test oval tourists reached thanks century border took wickets century boycott defied seven wicket haul england reply took wickets set team target runs win went wicket second innings half centuries england reached match ended draw england victorious series efforts led unofficially referred ashes travelled india england november test series india sri_lanka took wickets india test wickets sri_lanka international fixtures secured county championship wickets came table england began county season county championship fixtures featuring half century bat career best leading touring indian took wickets reached class wickets yorkshire india scheduled play tests matches tour matches began england dropped captain seen unlikely candidate ambivalent role awarded june new captain faced india squad taking wickets run help took wickets england restricted india achieved victory wickets second match followed days later england won time runs taking seven overs victories belt led team test june batting hit career best runs wicket partnership worth england record india took hosts set taking apart indian batting line leave england runs chase reached loss wickets described bowling near fastest took test wicket match took wickets second test centuries hit runs ensured large innings scores pushed match draw followed career best match england took india declared england second innings leave india win collected wicket india closed final day completed test series victorious fashion test wickets available class games season finished total wickets promptly travelled australia lead england ashes winter england winning ashes team travelled australia took wicket warm class matches absent took continuing injury problems beginning plague bowler body took test australia reached reply england innings century england second innings took australia reached close play final day loss wickets taken leaving match drawn picked second test australia easily reached low fourth innings target test followed similar pattern england low scores face australia innings australia taking wicket win lead series despite wickets england achieved ashes victory margin runs fourth test melbourne taking wickets game think gone fifth match ended draw australia won series entire tour took class wickets following world series cup england australia new_zealand england knocked despite wickets returned season struggling county season wickets finding success day arena career best wickets led england test series new_zealand finding greater success wickets including wicket haul coming second test took past class wickets test wickets england won series convincingly returned new_zealand winter drawn test overtook record england tally test wickets dismissed innings england lost second test innings despite test ending draw england lost series increasing physical mental reduce stress focus game took wickets following series england beat new_zealand england played test series pakistan early unable contribute wickets match injury county championship appearances taking wickets pressure mounting injury poor performances england team sacked captain upcoming test series west_indies replaced captain subsequently received mixed assessment retained fond memories player remarked found difficult captain men similar age noted enthusiasm effective captain outstanding tactical genius end feelings bordered disgust conviction england accepted failure readily able close media comment characterised game reluctant captain grateful placed ranks repeated defeats tests england captain saw victories defeats draws led england matches winning losing played test series west_indies taking wickets matches match played county taking wickets took field july test took wickets runs west_indies particularly bowling holding hit deliveries conceded runs overs second innings referred death career announced retirement cricket immediately england defeat finished career test wickets time second wickets class matches surpassed number test wickets england retains world record test wickets single wicket haul match commentary retiring playing cricket established television commentator sky began initially partnership commentary box style suit dropped line commentary duties appeared joining appeared life question sport continued work largely county game vocal need changes english cricket particularly group players known critical england tour criticised england coach practices england performance ashes vocal calling retirement form national captain attracted detractors somewhat style independent trophy content dismal delivery player trouble getting sleep commentator struggles stay awake voice remains note neighbour wrote unfair players didn mistake daily_mail begun writing defended commentary style launching polls cricket commentary returned negative views hyper critical commentary received vote personal life married wife juliet daughter born reported relationship wife ended previously admitted extra marital affair public seen leaving address secretary
Bob Willis