Bob Holland died on 17th September 2017 aged 70 from a brain cancer. He was diagnosed in March of that year
and underwent surgery, Chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He died just two days after a tribute night attended by
several former Test players was held inhis honour.
Bob Holland, the New South Wales leg spinner, was almost unplayable on
the turning wickets of his home ground at Sydney, bowling West Indies to
an innings defeat at the height of their success and taking 10 wickets
against New Zealand a year later. Apart from one virtuoso performance at
Lord's during the 1985 Ashes series he had little success elsewhere. He
was already a veteran of six seasons of Sheffield Shield cricket when
he was promoted to the Australia side in 1984-85 for the second Test
against the West Indies at Brisbane. He took 2-97 in that match and only
two expensive wickets in Adelaide, then was dropped. He returned at
Sydney to bowl in tandem with left arm spinner Murray Bennett, taking
6-54 and 4-90.
Holland's 5-68 at Lord's gave Australia a four wicket
victory, but he was left out of the team in Nottingham and only returned
when England had gained the upper hand, taking 0-101 at Old Trafford as
Gatting made 160 and 0-95 at Edgaston where Gower scored 215 and Tim
Robinson 148. At Brisbane against New Zealand his figures were 0-106 and
New Zealand won by an innings, so he was lucky to be retained for
Sydney where he took 6-106 and 4-68, bowling Martin Crowe for 0 in the
second innings. He had 3-63 in Perth, but was easy meat for the spin
experts of India, taking 1-113 in an innings where Gavaskar got 172 and
Srikkanth and Mohinder Amarnath also scored centuries. He played one
more season for New South Wales before dropping out of big time cricket. (Bob Harragan).
|

Australia's spinner Bob Holland is pictured above during the drawn 3rd Test against England at
Trent Bridge in July 1985.
|
Date |
Test |
Venue |
Opp. |
1st Inns |
2nd Inns |
Batting |
Ct |
Result |
|
23/11/84 |
2 |
Brisbane |
WI |
27-5-97-2 |
dnb |
6 & 0 |
0 |
Lost |
|
07/12/84 |
3 |
Adelaide |
WI |
30.2-5-109-1 |
18.1-1-54-1 |
2 & 7* |
0 |
Lost |
|
30/12/84 |
5 |
Sydney |
WI |
22-7-54-6 |
33-8-90-4 |
dnb & dnb |
0 |
Won |
|
27/06/85 |
2 |
Lord's |
Eng |
23-6-42-0 |
32-12-68-5 |
0 & dnb |
1 |
Won |
|
11/07/85 |
3 |
Nottingham |
Eng |
26-3-90-1 |
28-9-69-0 |
10 & dnb |
0 |
Draw |
|
01/08/85 |
4 |
Manchester |
Eng |
38-7-101-0 |
dnb |
5* & dnb |
0 |
Draw |
|
15/08/85 |
5 |
Birmingham |
Eng |
25-4-95-0 |
dnb |
0 & 0 |
0 |
Lost |
|
08/11/85 |
1 |
Brisbane |
NZ |
22-3-106-0 |
dnb |
0 & 0 |
1 |
Lost |
|
22/11/85 |
2 |
Sydney |
NZ |
47-19-106-6 |
41-16-68-4 |
0 & dnb |
0 |
Won |
|
30/11/85 |
3 |
Perth |
NZ |
40-12-63-3 |
8-1-27-0 |
4 & 0* |
0 |
Lost |
|
02/01/86 |
3 |
Sydney |
Ind |
21-6-113-1 |
dnb |
1* & dnb |
0 |
Draw |
Summary of all matches
M |
Runs |
HS |
Ave |
100s |
50s |
W |
BB |
Ave |
5w |
Ct |
11 |
35 |
10 |
3.18 |
0 |
0 |
34 |
6-54 |
39.76 |
3 |
2 |