Robert George Holland (19 October 1946 – 17 September 2017) was a New South Wales and Australian cricketer. He was, because of his surname, nicknamed "Dutchy". Holland, who spent the majority of his cricketing life in Newcastle, was a late bloomer, and his Test debut aged 38 made him the oldest Australian debutant in more than half a century. It was not until the 1978–79 season, aged 32, that the New South Wales selectors called up Holland to continue the state’s long tradition of leg spin bowling. He quickly formed an integral part of the bowling attack that made the state the dominant domestic team in the Sheffield Shield in the 1980s. Forming a spin-oriented attack with Murray Bennett (left-arm orthodox) and Greg Matthews (off spin), Holland was part of the team that won the Sheffield Shield in 1982–83, 1984–85 and 1985–86. Holland finished his first-class career with a season with Wellington in New Zealand’s domestic league. Career When Holland was 15 he met Colin McCool, the player coach at Belmont Club. When he was 19 he played for Northern NSW against Mike Smiths' 1965–66 MCC team. He represented Northern NSW in 1975–76 against the touring West Indian side as an opening batsman. 1978–79 Holland made his Shield debut in 1978–79, taking 1-113 against Queensland. It was the only first-class game he played that summer, the selectors preferring David Hourn and Graeme Beard to be the NSW spinners. 1979-80 Holland played for NSW in the 1979-80 season. He took four wickets against Queensland, five against Victoria seven against Tasmania, three against the touring English and five against South Australia. He wound up taking 25 first-class wickets at 30.48. 1980–81 Holland's 4–30 helped NSW beat WA by an innings. He was left out of the McDonald's Cup side but was kept in the NSW Shield team. He took 5–82 against South Australia, his first five-wicket haul at first-class level. He took 30 wickets that summer at 31.03. 1981–82 Holland took six wickets in his first Shield game and four in his second, causing people to discuss him as a test prospect. He took 27 wickets that summer at 24.48. 1982–83 Highlights of this summer included 3–16 against Queensland. However Holland had relative lack of success over this summer, taking only 16 wickets at 52.06 with a best of 4-100. 1983–84 Holland took his best figures to date, 7–56 against South Australia.