Hollioake, a great unfulfilled talent

Ben Hollioake, whose life was cut short on Saturday in a car crash in Western Australia at the age of 24, was the great unfulfilled talent of English cricket.

In the heady spring of 1997, when England briefly looked like posting a challenge to the mighty Australians, Hollioake was selected for the third one-day international.

England, under his brother Adam, had won the first two matches convincingly and the stage was set at Lord's for Ben to make his debut.

Hollioake drove Glenn McGrath's third ball for four en route to a dashing 63 from 46 balls as England cruised to their third successive six wicket victory.

He also lofted Warne in to the stands and his imperious upright style made an instant impression on the critics

England won the first Test on a tide of euphoria but were quickly brought back to earth as Australia found their form, having the better of a rain-ruined second Test at Lord's and winning the third and fourth by crushing margins.

The two Hollioake brothers were selected for the fifth Test at Trent Bridge, with Ben becoming the youngest England debutant at the age of 19 years 269 days since Brian Close in 1949.

Ben scored 28 and two, not enough to retain his place, and his only other Test came in the following summer when he played in the 10-wicket loss to Sri Lanka.

MEDIOCRE FIGURES

Despite his evident ability both as a batsman and medium-fast bowler, Hollioake's figures for Surrey were mediocre and unsubstantiated magazine allegations that he had smoked cannabis during an England A tour of Sri Lanka in 1998 did not help his cause.

Hollioake had scored his first first-class century in the second test and notched another in the third, two impressive innings which seemed to represent a breakthrough.

Instead his county form did not improve and at the start of last season he had played only seven one-day internationals to add to his two tests.

He was recalled to the England side in the triangular series against Australia and Pakistan, doing enough to win selection for a one-day series in Zimbabwe and in the one-day squad who toured India and New Zealand.

A knee injury kept him out of the New Zealand series.

"Ben was a hugely talented young cricketer, a popular member of the side, and he will be greatly missed by everyone in the England dressing room," said England coach Duncan Fletcher.

"He was one of a number of young players that we were looking to take to the World Cup with the one-day squad next winter and it's tragic that a young life has been lost in this way."

Chairman of selectors David Graveney said: "This is a great loss of someone who was young and so talented. I remember how proud his family was when both Ben and his brother Adam were capped together for England."

Mail Cricket Editor