The Hindu : Ben Hollioake killed in car accident

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 24, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Ben Hollioake killed in car accident

PERTH, MARCH 23. England Test and one-day cricket international Ben Hollioake was killed in a car accident here today, police said.

Australian-born Hollioake, 24, died when the Porsche car he was driving spun out of control in Perth, western Australia, shortly after midnight local time today.

``The vehicle spun out of control into a brick property fence,'' inspector Ian Duggan said.

Another officer, acting inspector Greg Medhurst, said: ``at this stage indications are that speed was within the limits for the area, but obviously more investigation is required to determine the exact cause.''

The crash was in Mill Point road, south Perth, and occurred just after Hollioake had turned off Kwinana freeway. It was not clear if Hollioake, who played two Test matches and 20 one day internationals for England between 1997 and 2002, died at the scene, he said.

His 22-year-old woman passenger suffered serious head and chest injuries and was in a critical condition at Royal Perth hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said. She was said to be in intensive care.

Relatives travelling in a separate vehicle were first on the scene after witnessing the crash that claimed Hollioake's life, police said.

Police would not confirm who the relatives were, or whether they included Hollioake's elder brother Adam, also an England Test cricketer. However, Adam was believed to have been in Perth at the time. The brothers were believed to have been in Perth visiting their parents John and Daria after being with the England one-day team in New Zealand.

Hollioake was born in Melbourne in 1977 and when he made his debut against Australia during the fifth Test at Nottingham in 1997 with Adam he was, at 19, the youngest player to represent England since Brian Close in 1949.

It was the only time in the 20Th century that brothers had made debuts in the same test.

Hollioake, who played for Surrey in England and was the 1997 young cricketer of the year, was a member of England's one day squad during last month's series in New Zealand.

He had just returned from New Zealand but had not played in the three one-day internationals for England because of a knee injury.

Paul Sheldon, the chief executive of Hollioake's county team, Surrey, released a statement just after the news of his death.

``This is devastating news. It's terrible to lose such a supreme talent as Ben's just as he was beginning to realise to fulfill his potential as a cricketer.''

Ben's brother, Adam, is the captain of Surrey. Their Trent Bridge match in 1997 made them the first brothers to make their Test debuts for England together last century.

Three Surrey team-mates - Mark Butcher, Graham Thorpe and Mark Ramprakash - are playing for England in the second Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington this week- end.

Hollioake had only recently agreed a new one-year deal with his English county side Surrey despite interest from Warwickshire.

He was hoping that a successful 2002 season would lead to a place in the England team for the 2003 World Cup.

After making his Test debut against Australia at Trent Bridge in 1997, he was given just one more Test, at the Oval against Sri Lanka, the following year before dropping out of England's five-day plans.

However, he appeared in 20 one-day internationals, the latest the fourth match against India at Kanpur in January. But his form failed to match his natural ability as a record of 309 runs at 20.60 and eight wickets at an expensive 66.50 indicated.

However, he did hit a best score of 63 off 48 balls on his debut against the Australians at Lord's in 1997. With the World Cup in 2003 very much in mind, he was recalled to the national team for the triangular tournament against Pakistan and Australia in 2001 as well as featuring in this winter's one-day squad although a knee injury prevented him playing in New Zealand.

He scored 37 not out against Australia at Bristol last year and hit 53 against Pakistan at Headingley. In his first- class career he scored 2794 runs at 25.87 and took 126 wickets at 33.45 - a reminder of his undoubted ability came in the final of the B and H Cup final in 2001 when his 73 helped Surrey to victory over Gloucestershire.

That Man-of-the-Match performance helped ease his way back into the England set-up.

- AFP

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