Eric Hollies famous for bowling Bradman

Press, 29 April 1981, Page 25

Eric Hollies famous for bowling Bradman

NZPA London Eric Hollies, the Warwickshire spin-bowler, who died recently, was always remembered for bowling but Donald Bradman (now Sir Donald) for a duck jii the Australian batsman’s last test match in 1948. at the Oval. ■ Hollies, who. played county cricket from 1932 Until 1957. was iohe of cricket’s most .consistently accurate bowlers of - leg spin and goo-, glies before this style of attack became unfashionable; ■ William Eric Hollies was born at Old Hill, Staffordshire, on June 5, 1912, and his early; promise received every encouragement from his bather who wasja well'known Birmingham league bowler. Hollies had a trial for Worcestershire before even being signed by Warwickshire. He was only 22 when he toured the West Indies with the M.C.C. in 1934-35, played ' in .three of-.the four -test matches, and 'hbaded the England 'bowling averages.

He was perhaps a shade unfortunate not to have plaved more representative cricket than he did. His other 10 England caps were won between 1947 ;and 1950 and his only other tour came in 1950-51 when he went to Australia. For Warwickshire, Hollies day in day out was the 1-inch pin of its attack. As he perfected his .craft he tended to quicken his pace and to - use the top spinner more effectively than the googly. ( His sturdy figure, fair hair ■and cheerful demeanour ■ made him ■ a popular figure with spectators as he bowled hour after hour from a short run-up. ' ’ ■■ In 1946 he was the season s leading wicket taker with 184 wickets at 15.60 each. i' Against Nottinghamshire, • at Edgbaston, he took 10 for i 49 in.the first innings, bowl- ; ing seven batsmen and , dismissing three men leg ■ before, the first time in i championship history a bowler had taken all 10 with-

out assistance from a fieldsman. When Warwickshire won its first championship for 40 years in 1951 Hollies’s 145 wickets cost 17.69 runs each. Hollies was recalled by England for the fifth test at the Oval in 1948 after he had taken eight for 107 for Warwickshire against Bradman’s all-conquering side. 1 Bradman received a tu- ■ multubus welcome when he came out for his last test match innings. He played a dead. bat to his first ball ! from Hollies, a leg break, I and then missed the next • ball, a googly, and was bowled: 1 Hollies, who only retired from Birmingham league cricket five years ago,' was - among those "famous bowlers - whose wickets exceeded 1 their runs as a batsman. In ; his career Hollies took 2323 i wickets, costing 20.94, and i scored 1673 runs at an aver- - age of 5.01.