Eric Hollies
An English leg-spin bowler forever etched in cricket lore for delivering the ball that denied Don Bradman a perfect career average.
1912–1981 (age 69)·English cricketer·Birthday: June 5·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Eric Hollies spent a career being very, very good at his job for Warwickshire, but is remembered globally for one perfect delivery. A leg-break and googly bowler of relentless accuracy, he tormented county batsmen for two decades, taking over 2,300 first-class wickets at a miserly average. His moment of immortal fame came in 1948 at The Oval, in the final Test innings of the peerless Don Bradman. Needing just four runs to retire with a Test average of 100, Bradman faced Hollies. The first ball was a googly that beat the bat. The second, a leg-break, slipped past Bradman's defense and bowled him for zero. The crowd was stunned into a silence that honored the fallen great. Hollies, ever the professional, simply returned to his mark. He took 13 wickets in that match, a testament to his skill, but history recalls the two that defined a legend's exit and secured his own place in the game's story.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Eric was born in 1912, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1912
Eric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1912Born
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1917Started school
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Became a teenager
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Could drive
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1930Could vote
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1933Turned 21
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1942Turned 30
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 40
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1962Turned 50
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 60
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1981Died at 69
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
Key Achievements
- Took 2,323 first-class wickets at an average of 20.27 across a career spent entirely with Warwickshire.
- Bowled Don Bradman for a duck in the Australian's final Test innings in 1948.
- Captured 100 wickets in an English season ten times, demonstrating remarkable consistency.
- Took 13 wickets for 181 runs in the 1948 Oval Test against Australia, a dominant all-round performance.
Did You Know?
He bowled his famous delivery to Bradman with a brand new ball, having just been brought into the attack.
Despite his success, he only played 13 Test matches for England, often due to the presence of other spin bowlers.
He was a useful lower-order batsman, scoring over 7,000 first-class runs, including three centuries.
He served as Warwickshire's captain from 1954 to 1957.
“I just bowled my normal leg-break; it was the batsman who was Bradman.”
