BEN HOLLIOAKE PROFILE
Full name: Benjamin Caine Hollioake

Born: 11th November 1977, Melbourne, Australia

Died: 23rd March 2002, Perth, Australia

Family: Parents- John and Daria Hollioake
            brother- Adam and sister- Eboni

Teams: Surrey and England

Batting role: Right handed batsman

Bowling role: Right arm fast medium

Test debut: England v. Australia 5th test,
                  Trent Bridge, 1997

ODI debut: England v. Australia, Lord's, 1997

Autograph:
Batting for Surrey
22/07/99. Warwickshire v. Surrey
                       at Edgbaston
Ben Hollioake, younger brother of Adam, was born in Australia and later moved to England where he eventually joined Surrey County Cricket Club as a teenager. He remained there throughout his short career although there had been talk of him joining Warwickshire before the start of the 2002 season. But Hollioake chose to stay loyal to Surrey and confirmed he would continue with them in their new season (a season which has since been dedicated to his memory by Surrey), shortly before his tragic death in March last year.

It was as a teenager that Ben Hollioake first made his mark on international cricket, impressing in his first games for England at only 19 years old. He and his brother, Adam, made their test debuts in the same game in 1997 against Australia at Trent Bridge, particularly significant considering their Australian roots. Ben scored 28 runs and took 2-83. On his one day international debut the same year he grabbed more attention, batting at no.3 and scoring 63 from 48 balls. He also produced a man-of- the-match performance in Surrey's Benson & Hedges Cup Final win in July that year, scoring 98 runs. It was performances like this that earned Hollioake the reputation of being an exciting, entertaining and naturally gifted young player.
Off the field, most peoples' impression of Ben is that he was laid-back with a carefree attitude and a zest for life. He was known as a joker as well as being awe-inspiringly trendy. Since his death it has also become clear that he was incredibly popular, well loved and widely admired. His coolness and positive outlook seemed natural and effortless. When the news of the accident broke, David Lloyd was working with Sky Sports during England's test in New Zealand. He described Ben affectionately and concisely saying, 'He was always Ben.'

Sadly, Ben Hollioake's career records do not do him justice and Ben was robbed of the opportunity to fulfil his great potential. Many believe he was on the verge of doing so just before his tragic death. On 23rd March last year, Ben Hollioake was killed in a car crash in Perth at the age of 24. True to Ben's stylish demeanour, his death was likened by many newspaper reports to that of James Dean. One thing this loss made painfully clear is just how fragile life is, even for a young and fit athlete with every reason to live, like Ben Hollioake.
Ben Hollioake
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