Brian Booth Obituary (1935-2020)
We have learnt of the death of former Lancashire cricketer Brian Booth who sadly passed away just before Christmas aged 84.
Born in Billenge End, Blackburn he played 117 first class matches for Lancashire between 1956-63. He was a useful all-rounder who scored 1,000 runs in a season twice with a top score of 183* v Oxford University at Old Trafford 1961.
He was originally taken on by Lancashire as a 15 year-old because of his promise as a leg break bowler for Darwen Cricket Club. In his first season in the Minor Counties Championship he took 12 wickets at 11 runs each. As time progressed his bowling opportunities declined with the presence of England leg breakers Bob Barber and Tommy Greenhough also in the team, but Brian’s batting developed.
He was a determined right-handed batsman sometimes used as an opener and a right-arm leg-break and googly bowler. He was a useful bowler taking up to 30 wickets in a season for Lancashire. He was capped in 1961.
Brian was unlucky to play for Lancashire when he did because of unrest at the Club in the early 1960’s and he left at the end of the 1963 season to join Leicestershire. He was capped in 1964 and played for them until 1973 scoring 1,000 runs in a season six times for the Grace Road-based county and he was awarded a testimonial in 1973.
Overall he played in 350 first-class games scoring 15,298 runs and 64 one-day games, including the first-ever Gillette Cup match in 1963 where he scored a half century at Old Trafford for Lancashire against, ironically, Leicestershire.
Rev Malcolm Lorimer
Heritage Team