I heard it on the radio. IT IS TRUE. I had no interest in Cricket, but my partner in our architectural firm in Bristol was a cricketer and Founder of the Old England Cricket Club, so he had the BBC on all the time. I found cricket, especially on the radio, rather boring, but I did happen to notice when the commentator said "the bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey" with of course a suitable pause (denoted by the comma) after "Holding". I read later (in a magazine, cannot find it online) that the commentators knew that this pairing of names might come up and discussed beforehand whether they would actually dare say this. As I said, I heard it. They said it.
@@andrewsheppard9728 I always believed it too. But there is something about us in Bristol because we choose to continue to believe the old one about the Bristol Zoo parking attendant scammer and we're rather proud of him ... and yet he never happened either!
@@fiveowaf454 - I have an idea. Let's see what the "cricketer" who was actually listening to the radio commentary at the time remembers. I last met him around 25 years ago, and last communicated by email in 2011. How could we do this so you don't think we're colluding?
I heard this the other way round "The batsman's Holding the Bowler's willy" and it was supposedly in a West Indies tour match against Northamptonshire If true, it would explain why they couldn't find it in any Test Match recording.
I was about 17 years old and doing the ironing listening to the radio and can verify, from what I heard and what I remember about the time, combined with a recent article (this century?) about 'You're not gonne believe this but* (Chris Old is working at Sainsbury's or some other supermarket) that what was actually said was 'You're not gonna believe this but the bowler's Old and the batsman's Willis'. Say it 'off handedly' and it sounds like 'You're not gonna believe this but the bowler's holding the batsman's willy'. The pun, and therefore the joke and what made it worth mentioning, was that (Chris) Old was best as a batsman and (Bob) WillIS (not WillEY) was a demon bowler. For my two penn'orth it DEFINITELY happened. I singed a perfect iron shape straight through both sides of my sister's nylon underskirt and ran round to my mum, at work in the office next door (ah those were the days) blurting out 'radio erm bowler's holding the batsman's willy' (she took no notice of me - no change there then). In a nutshell it definitely (radio) happened. I was (radio) there. One of my fave memories. (*I don't think the Chris Old working in supermarket article explained it's 'you're not gonna believe this' reference but it rings big big bells with me).
Actually, Chris Old was really a bowler but had pretensions to batting as well, enough to be considered an all-rounder in the early part of his career - he was apparently a fairly decent batsman against spin bowling, but not so hot against the quicks. And Bob Willis was indeed a hopeless batsman but a very fine fast bowler. Since they were both English, if they were ever playing against each other, it must have been in a county match. And if there was radio commentary, it must have been a one-day match in the knock out cup, rather than a county championship match. The story about it being Holding and Willey is plausible, but apparently not true - although, when told as if it were a true story, it's usually attributed to the Old Trafford Test Match of 1976. Which has one snag: Peter Willey was not actually playing in the match, his debut was in the next Test at Headingley... in which he was dismissed by Holding in the second innings. The story is sometimes also told with it being Willey bowling to Holding, rather than the other way around - but Peter Willey was only an occasional bowler, selected mainly as a specialist batsman, whereas Holding was a specialist bowler who batted near the end of the innings. He did not, in fact, bowl to Holding at all during that series...
2:35 they're all being terribly rude. There really must be some poor woman called Theresa Tickell, and it's very disrespectful to laugh. There is! Googled her!
I've lived my entire life in the firm belief that this was a thing that once happened. I should never have googled it, ignorance is bliss.
I wish it was true but sadly not
I heard it on the radio. IT IS TRUE. I had no interest in Cricket, but my partner in our architectural firm in Bristol was a cricketer and Founder of the Old England Cricket Club, so he had the BBC on all the time. I found cricket, especially on the radio, rather boring, but I did happen to notice when the commentator said "the bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey" with of course a suitable pause (denoted by the comma) after "Holding". I read later (in a magazine, cannot find it online) that the commentators knew that this pairing of names might come up and discussed beforehand whether they would actually dare say this. As I said, I heard it. They said it.
@@andrewsheppard9728 I always believed it too. But there is something about us in Bristol because we choose to continue to believe the old one about the Bristol Zoo parking attendant scammer and we're rather proud of him ... and yet he never happened either!
@@andrewsheppard9728 I was always certain that I actually heard it said live in a commentary, but now I'm not so sure.
@@fiveowaf454 - I have an idea. Let's see what the "cricketer" who was actually listening to the radio commentary at the time remembers. I last met him around 25 years ago, and last communicated by email in 2011. How could we do this so you don't think we're colluding?
1:07 "He put his cue in the rack" is a lovely euphemism for death.
Another dream shattered
I heard this the other way round "The batsman's Holding the Bowler's willy" and it was supposedly in a West Indies tour match against Northamptonshire If true, it would explain why they couldn't find it in any Test Match recording.
If that were the case would have Blowers been commentating on. General enquiry really
I've always wanted to add to this alleged comment..."the wicketkeeper's Knott"😂
For the sake of the good of the game. I’m going to neuralise you all and anyone who watches this vid so that the legend can continue.
I still believe it
In my universe it definitely happened!!
Bloody Mandela effect.
Could listen to blowers talk all day
Yeah leaf blowers really have good conversational skills
That's the longest I've heard Blowers talk without mentioning a pigeon or a London Bus....
I could swear I heard him say it my dad laughed about it for years
Nice to see they are friends again as Baxter blocked the return of Blofeld for a few years after he left for Sky
I wonder if upon meeting, Blofeld said to Baxter "Mr Baxter, I've been expecting you".
I was about 17 years old and doing the ironing listening to the radio and can verify, from what I heard and what I remember about the time, combined with a recent article (this century?) about 'You're not gonne believe this but* (Chris Old is working at Sainsbury's or some other supermarket) that what was actually said was 'You're not gonna believe this but the bowler's Old and the batsman's Willis'. Say it 'off handedly' and it sounds like 'You're not gonna believe this but the bowler's holding the batsman's willy'. The pun, and therefore the joke and what made it worth mentioning, was that (Chris) Old was best as a batsman and (Bob) WillIS (not WillEY) was a demon bowler. For my two penn'orth it DEFINITELY happened. I singed a perfect iron shape straight through both sides of my sister's nylon underskirt and ran round to my mum, at work in the office next door (ah those were the days) blurting out 'radio erm bowler's holding the batsman's willy' (she took no notice of me - no change there then). In a nutshell it definitely (radio) happened. I was (radio) there. One of my fave memories. (*I don't think the Chris Old working in supermarket article explained it's 'you're not gonna believe this' reference but it rings big big bells with me).
sixty susie there are two cricketers called holding and Willey though
Actually, Chris Old was really a bowler but had pretensions to batting as well, enough to be considered an all-rounder in the early part of his career - he was apparently a fairly decent batsman against spin bowling, but not so hot against the quicks. And Bob Willis was indeed a hopeless batsman but a very fine fast bowler. Since they were both English, if they were ever playing against each other, it must have been in a county match. And if there was radio commentary, it must have been a one-day match in the knock out cup, rather than a county championship match.
The story about it being Holding and Willey is plausible, but apparently not true - although, when told as if it were a true story, it's usually attributed to the Old Trafford Test Match of 1976. Which has one snag: Peter Willey was not actually playing in the match, his debut was in the next Test at Headingley... in which he was dismissed by Holding in the second innings.
The story is sometimes also told with it being Willey bowling to Holding, rather than the other way around - but Peter Willey was only an occasional bowler, selected mainly as a specialist batsman, whereas Holding was a specialist bowler who batted near the end of the innings. He did not, in fact, bowl to Holding at all during that series...
NatWest Trophy then?
Announcement Mr P Nurse you've left your lights
I used to love CMJ . Great commentator
They should have played the leg over incident in the church instead.
I thought I heard Richie Benaud saying it on the television commentary.
Yes, thank you, I'm sure it was Richie Benaud too.
Yes I think your're right, it was Richie.
I really miss Blowers....
I thought it was John Arlott?
Is the footage of the original game on here?
I think we have here an instance of the Mandela Effect.
100%!! I've just been commenting the same thing. In my universe it definitely happened!!
Call out for Mike Hunt
Porky's.
Could the contributor of this clip please put a comma in the title so that the commentators true intentions is clear. Thank you
Actually that would be a comma splice. It should be a semi-colon.
So we're just going to ignore that the uploader failed to spell "bowler" twice? At the start of the video and in the details?? LOL Ok then... haha
And that would be an un-necessary hyphen ;)
2:35 they're all being terribly rude. There really must be some poor woman called Theresa Tickell, and it's very disrespectful to laugh. There is! Googled her!
oh no! not a random ass person they've never met!! how awful ;(
I don't think Mike Hunt or Seymour Butt would be amused either!
1:40
Sounds like Derek and Clive, without the filth and humour!:)
The best lines in cricket history.