Bob Willis was a right-arm fast bowler, who represented the England cricket team in 90 Tests between 1971 and 1984. [1] [2] In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five-for" or "fifer") [3] refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded as a notable achievement, [4] and As of 2017 [update], only 44 bowlers have taken at least 15 five-wicket hauls at international level in their cricketing careers. [2] In Test cricket, Willis took 325 wickets, including 16 five-wicket hauls. [1] [5] The Wisden Cricketers' Almanack named him one of their cricketers of the year in 1978, and termed him "one of the world's foremost fast bowlers." [6]
Willis made his Test debut during the fourth Test of the 1970–71 Ashes series, against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. [7] His first Test five-wicket haul came in the third Test of the 1974–75 Ashes series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. [8] Willis' career-best figures for an innings were 8 wickets for 43 runs—seventh among Top 100 Bowling performances of all time by Wisden [9]—at Headingley, during the 1981 Ashes series. [10] He never took ten wickets in a match; his best performance for a match was 9 wickets for 92 runs against New Zealand in 1983 at Headingley. [11] [12] He was most successful against Australia, taking seven five-wicket hauls. [13]
Willis made his One Day International (ODI) debut against the West Indies at Headingley, during the 1973 Prudential Trophy. [14] He never took a five-wicket haul in ODIs; his career-best figures for an innings were 4 wickets for 11 runs against Canada during the 1979 Cricket World Cup, a match England won by 8 wickets at Old Trafford. [15] [16] As of 2021 [update], Willis is thirty-ninth overall among all-time combined five-wicket haul takers. [n 1]
Symbol | Meaning |
---|---|
Date | Date the match was held, or starting date of the match for Test matches |
Inn | The innings of the match in which the five-wicket haul was taken |
Overs | Number of overs bowled in that innings |
Runs | Runs conceded |
Wkts | Number of wickets taken |
Econ | Bowling economy rate (average runs per over) |
Batsmen | The batsmen whose wickets were taken in the five-wicket haul |
Result | The result for the England team in that match |
† | Captained the England cricket team |
Drawn | The match was drawn |
No. | Date | Ground | Against | Inn | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Batsmen | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 26 December 1974 | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | Australia | 2 | 21.7 [n 2] | 61 | 5 | 2.09 | Drawn [8] | |
2 | 22 July 1976 | Headingley, Leeds | West Indies | 3 | 15.3 | 42 | 5 | 2.70 | Lost [20] | |
3 | 1 January 1977 | Eden Gardens, Calcutta [n 3] | India | 1 | 20.0 | 27 | 5 | 1.35 | Won [21] | |
4 | 28 January 1977 | Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium, Bangalore [n 4] | India | 1 | 17.0 | 53 | 6 | 3.11 | Lost [22] | |
5 | 16 June 1977 | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | Australia | 2 | 30.1 | 78 | 7 | 2.58 | Drawn [23] | |
6 | 28 July 1977 | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | Australia | 3 | 26.0 | 88 | 5 | 3.38 | Won [24] | |
7 | 25 August 1977 | Kennington Oval, London | Australia | 2 | 29.3 | 102 | 5 | 3.45 | Drawn [25] | |
8 | 10 February 1978 | Basin Reserve, Wellington | New Zealand | 3 | 15.0 [n 2] | 32 | 5 | 1.60 | Lost [18] | |
9 | 15 June 1978 | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | Pakistan | 2 | 13.0 | 47 | 5 | 3.61 | Won [26] | |
10 | 27 July 1978 | Kennington Oval, London | New Zealand | 1 | 20.2 | 42 | 5 | 2.06 | Won [27] | |
11 | 15 December 1978 | WACA Ground, Perth | Australia | 2 | 18.5 [n 2] | 44 | 5 | 1.77 | Won [19] | |
12 | 5 June 1980 | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | West Indies | 4 | 26.0 | 65 | 5 | 2.50 | Lost [28] | |
13 | 16 July 1981 | Headingley, Leeds | Australia | 4 | 15.1 | 43 | 8 | 2.83 | Won [10] | |
14 | 10 June 1982† | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | India | 3 | 28.0 | 101 | 6 | 3.60 | Won [29] | |
15 | 26 November 1982† | Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane | Australia | 2 | 29.4 | 66 | 5 | 2.22 | Lost [30] | |
16 | 28 July 1983† | Headingley, Leeds | New Zealand | 4 | 14.0 | 35 | 5 | 2.50 | Lost [12] |
... I'd rather take fifers (five wickets) for England ...
Bob Willis was a right-arm fast bowler, who represented the England cricket team in 90 Tests between 1971 and 1984. [1] [2] In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five-for" or "fifer") [3] refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded as a notable achievement, [4] and As of 2017 [update], only 44 bowlers have taken at least 15 five-wicket hauls at international level in their cricketing careers. [2] In Test cricket, Willis took 325 wickets, including 16 five-wicket hauls. [1] [5] The Wisden Cricketers' Almanack named him one of their cricketers of the year in 1978, and termed him "one of the world's foremost fast bowlers." [6]
Willis made his Test debut during the fourth Test of the 1970–71 Ashes series, against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. [7] His first Test five-wicket haul came in the third Test of the 1974–75 Ashes series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. [8] Willis' career-best figures for an innings were 8 wickets for 43 runs—seventh among Top 100 Bowling performances of all time by Wisden [9]—at Headingley, during the 1981 Ashes series. [10] He never took ten wickets in a match; his best performance for a match was 9 wickets for 92 runs against New Zealand in 1983 at Headingley. [11] [12] He was most successful against Australia, taking seven five-wicket hauls. [13]
Willis made his One Day International (ODI) debut against the West Indies at Headingley, during the 1973 Prudential Trophy. [14] He never took a five-wicket haul in ODIs; his career-best figures for an innings were 4 wickets for 11 runs against Canada during the 1979 Cricket World Cup, a match England won by 8 wickets at Old Trafford. [15] [16] As of 2021 [update], Willis is thirty-ninth overall among all-time combined five-wicket haul takers. [n 1]
Symbol | Meaning |
---|---|
Date | Date the match was held, or starting date of the match for Test matches |
Inn | The innings of the match in which the five-wicket haul was taken |
Overs | Number of overs bowled in that innings |
Runs | Runs conceded |
Wkts | Number of wickets taken |
Econ | Bowling economy rate (average runs per over) |
Batsmen | The batsmen whose wickets were taken in the five-wicket haul |
Result | The result for the England team in that match |
† | Captained the England cricket team |
Drawn | The match was drawn |
No. | Date | Ground | Against | Inn | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Econ | Batsmen | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 26 December 1974 | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne | Australia | 2 | 21.7 [n 2] | 61 | 5 | 2.09 | Drawn [8] | |
2 | 22 July 1976 | Headingley, Leeds | West Indies | 3 | 15.3 | 42 | 5 | 2.70 | Lost [20] | |
3 | 1 January 1977 | Eden Gardens, Calcutta [n 3] | India | 1 | 20.0 | 27 | 5 | 1.35 | Won [21] | |
4 | 28 January 1977 | Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium, Bangalore [n 4] | India | 1 | 17.0 | 53 | 6 | 3.11 | Lost [22] | |
5 | 16 June 1977 | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | Australia | 2 | 30.1 | 78 | 7 | 2.58 | Drawn [23] | |
6 | 28 July 1977 | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | Australia | 3 | 26.0 | 88 | 5 | 3.38 | Won [24] | |
7 | 25 August 1977 | Kennington Oval, London | Australia | 2 | 29.3 | 102 | 5 | 3.45 | Drawn [25] | |
8 | 10 February 1978 | Basin Reserve, Wellington | New Zealand | 3 | 15.0 [n 2] | 32 | 5 | 1.60 | Lost [18] | |
9 | 15 June 1978 | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | Pakistan | 2 | 13.0 | 47 | 5 | 3.61 | Won [26] | |
10 | 27 July 1978 | Kennington Oval, London | New Zealand | 1 | 20.2 | 42 | 5 | 2.06 | Won [27] | |
11 | 15 December 1978 | WACA Ground, Perth | Australia | 2 | 18.5 [n 2] | 44 | 5 | 1.77 | Won [19] | |
12 | 5 June 1980 | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | West Indies | 4 | 26.0 | 65 | 5 | 2.50 | Lost [28] | |
13 | 16 July 1981 | Headingley, Leeds | Australia | 4 | 15.1 | 43 | 8 | 2.83 | Won [10] | |
14 | 10 June 1982† | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | India | 3 | 28.0 | 101 | 6 | 3.60 | Won [29] | |
15 | 26 November 1982† | Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane | Australia | 2 | 29.4 | 66 | 5 | 2.22 | Lost [30] | |
16 | 28 July 1983† | Headingley, Leeds | New Zealand | 4 | 14.0 | 35 | 5 | 2.50 | Lost [12] |
... I'd rather take fifers (five wickets) for England ...