Ben was a bloody good
bloke: Hussain

England captain Nasser Hussain has described the second Test against New Zealand as "pretty irrelevant" in paying tribute to Ben Hollioake, who was killed in a car crash in Perth, Australia on Saturday.

At the close of the third day, with New Zealand 70 without loss in reply to England's 280 all out, Hussain said the last two sessions had been very difficult for his team after they had learned of Hollioake's death.

"The game was pretty irrelevant," the England captain said. "Cricket is a side issue when you've just lost a friend who only a few weeks ago we were mucking around with, having dinner with and having a laugh with.

"When the Barmy Army (England's cricket on-tour supporters) started singing his name, it was a difficult time for us.

"Luckily, though, cricket is an individual game and you can summon up individual strengths.

"Stephen Fleming (New Zealand captain) came up to me and said he was sorry to hear the news. Then they (New Zealand) got stuck into us, which is what we would have done in the same position."

Hollioake, 24, died when his sports car spun out of control and hit a brick wall just after midnight Perth time.

TEST APPEARANCES

The 24-year-old Surrey player, who made Test appearances in August 1997 against Australia and a year later versus Sri Lanka, crashed at Mill Point Road in South Perth and died at the scene.

Fighting back tears, Hussain said the England team were devastated after hearing the news.

"He was very close to the team," he said. "Only four weeks ago, the physio was rubbing his Achilles tendon down and I left him out (of the team) only four weeks ago."

"He (Hollioake) kept coming up to me and saying 'Nass, I'm there for you'.

"He's just a good egg and my thoughts and the thoughts of the team are with his family and his brother...because he was a bloody good bloke."

Hussain said the England team had not really talked about the tragedy, but he had asked them to be professional and not let their standards drop on the third day of the second Test.

"I wasn't going to go into cliches and say 'that's what Ben would want'," he added.

Mail Cricket Editor