Bob Willis: England's Most Hostile Fast Bowler of the 1970s and 80s

Bob Willis was England's most formidable fast bowler across the 1970s and early 1980s — a tall (1.96m), aggressive Warwickshire pace bowler with a distinctive high-action delivery stride and enormous competitive drive. He played 90 Tests for England between 1970 and 1984, taking 325 wickets at an average of 25.20 — England's third-highest wicket-taker in Tests at the time of his retirement. Willis was not a natural mover of the ball but generated steep bounce from his height and attacked the crease with hostile intent, frequently running in for 30+ overs a day when England needed wickets.

Headingley 1981 — 8/43

Willis is immortalised in cricket history for his performance at Headingley in the third Test of the 1981 Ashes. England, having followed on against Australia, set a target of 130 for Australia to win the match — a target that most observers considered insufficient. Willis then bowled one of the most extraordinary spells in Test history: running in from the football ground end at his fastest, he took 8 wickets for 43 runs, bowling Australia out for 111 and completing England's improbable 18-run win. Willis bowled flat-out for over 15 overs without a break, producing a performance that required both physical and psychological courage of the highest order.

Captaincy and Retirement

Willis captained England in 18 Tests between 1982 and 1984, winning seven and losing five. He retired from first-class cricket in 1984. His later career included work as a commentator and pundit for Sky Sports, where his forthright and frequently critical assessments of England's performances became a regular feature of Sky's cricket coverage. He died in December 2019 following an illness, and the Bob Willis Trophy — a red-ball domestic cricket competition in England — was established in his honour.