Adam Hollioake

Adam John Hollioake (born 5 September 1971) is a professional athlete who is the only international cricketer to compete professionally as a Mixed Martial Artist. He has also competed as a professional boxer. However he is most well known as a cricketing all-rounder who played for Surrey and England. He captained Surrey from 1997 until 2003, winning three County Championships, and led the England cricket team in One Day Internationals. He was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2003.

Since retiring from cricket in 2004, Hollioake has spent his time involved in charitable and media work as well as developing a property development business. He moved to Perth, Western Australia and later to Queensland. His property company, the Hollioake Group, collapsed in 2010.

Hollioake was born in Melbourne in 1971 and grew up in the mining town of Ballarat, where his family had lived for five generations. His father, an engineer, had played cricket for local sides, but Hollioake showed a preference for Australian Rules Football while attending St Patrick's College, Ballarat. The family moved to England in 1983 where Hollioake attended St George's College in Weybridge.

Although born in Australia, both Adam and brother Ben learned their cricket at the Hong Kong Cricket Club Junior Gappers during the time their father John was working in Hong Kong before moving to UK. Hollioake was offered a contract by Surrey in 1989 and made his first class debut for the county in August 1993. He was awarded his county cap in 1995, during a season in which he scored 1099 runs and took 21 wickets. He was described as an all-rounder with "aggressive batting and inventive medium-pace allsorts" and began to share captaincy duties for Surrey with Alec Stewart in 1996. He captained Surrey from 1997 until 2003, and led them to victory in the County Championship in 1999, 2000 and 2002. He went on to claim 9 trophies in his time as Surrey captain making him one of the most successful 1st class captains of all time.