Author Topic: Bob Willis (1949-2019)  (Read 2000 times)

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Bob Willis (1949-2019)
« on: 04 December, 2019, 04:03:58 pm »
Very sad. Inconsistent at times but very effective on his day.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Bob Willis (1949-2019)
« Reply #1 on: 04 December, 2019, 04:15:14 pm »
My goodness, that's a bolt from the blue.

It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Bob Willis (1949-2019)
« Reply #2 on: 04 December, 2019, 07:12:52 pm »
Sometimes you read these passings of a life and think, like,,,what? Bob Willis, 70?
Well, there's no guarantee for anything in this life I guess, but boy, sometimes headlines really rock you back a bit.

I have two over arching memories of Bob Willis - the first is of a fast bowler who bestowed probably had one of the most stressful and ugly 'actions' I've ever seen in a fast bowler. The second is, of course, the Headingley Test. Along with Botham and [the late] Dilley, a  legend performance. I remember watching that with my grandmother! Some things are just etched in the brainbox for ever.

For me, he was one of the many players, that made up the memories of growing up with terrestrial TV test matches.

He made his mark.
May he RIP
Garry Broad

Re: Bob Willis (1949-2019)
« Reply #3 on: 04 December, 2019, 07:15:38 pm »
Garry Broad

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Bob Willis (1949-2019)
« Reply #4 on: 04 December, 2019, 07:43:05 pm »
That BBC piece mentions Cook impersonating Willis’s unique action. I know where he got that from: Gooch, Cook’s mentor for a long time, had a party piece in which he impersonated a number of different bowlers. He did so once in the closing overs of a very drawn test match against India. His Willis tribute act was very funny but he also did a mean Andy Roberts. In the test match in question, I recalling him bowling a bouncer with Roberts’ very “slingy” action and almost took Vengsarkar’s head off..

I heard of Gooch going through a longer routine in an Essex match once, but sadly I was not there to see it.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: Bob Willis (1949-2019)
« Reply #6 on: 06 December, 2019, 11:12:03 am »
This is, to bowdlerise Jaded, a bolt from the black.  RIP, Bob and thanks for the memories.

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Bob Willis (1949-2019)
« Reply #7 on: 09 December, 2019, 03:44:37 pm »
My memory of That Test was a rather exasperated look from Willis, right at the end, as a catch was dropped. You could read his mind,
"Do it myself, then", followed by the stumps smashed out of the ground, and game over.
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i