Connolly was born in the small country town of
Skipton, Victoria. A fast bowler early in his career, injury and advice from his state captain
Jack Potter led him to slow his pace to increase his accuracy and movement off the pitch and through the air. Connolly toured England with the
Australian team in 1964 but was hampered by injury and poor form. Connolly led the Victorian attack in Victoria's victory in the Sheffield Shield in the 1966–67 season, taking 46 wickets at 26.91, and was selected to
tour New Zealand at the end of the season. He led Australia's attack in the four matches against
New Zealand, taking 16 wickets at 22.25. At the start of the 1967–68 season Connolly took 6 for 104 and 7 for 61 in Victoria's 10-wicket victory over
South Australia, and was selected in the Test team again. the only time England lost a match in a sequence of 40 Tests between 1966 and 1971. He headed Australia's bowling figures for the series, with 23 wickets at 21.34. He played the 1969 and 1970 seasons for Middlesex, but was again hampered by injuries during the 1970 season, and decided not to return for a third season in 1971. He took match figures of 55–22–109–7 in the First Test at
Cape Town, and in the Fourth Test he took his best Test innings figures of 6 for 47. His 330 wickets for Victoria set a new record for the state. ==References==