Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer. He played in 29 Tests between 1961 and 1966, and 93 first-class matches for New South Wales. Booth captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series. He was inducted into the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame in 2014.
About Brian Booth in brief
Brian Charles Booth is a former Australian cricketer. He played in 29 Tests between 1961 and 1966, and 93 first-class matches for New South Wales. He captained Australia for two Tests during the 1965–66 Ashes series. Booth was a graceful right-handed middle order batsman at No. 4 or 5, and occasionally bowled right arm medium pace or off spin. He was known for his sportsmanship on the field and often invoked Christianity while discussing ethics and sport. In retirement, Booth returned to his teaching duties and served as an Anglican lay-preacher. In 2014, he was inducted into the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame in 2014. Booth is the son of a market gardener and talented country cricketers. His father hung pictures of Don Bradman and Stan McCabe on the wall. Booth represented Bathurst High School at the age of 13 and played first grade cricket in Bathurst at 15. He moved to Sydney in 1952 and played in the grade cricket competition while training to become a teacher. He made his first- class debut for the New South NSW cricket team and came to prominence in dramatic circumstances in his second match, against the touring Englishmen in 1954–55. Booth made a duck in the first innings before adding 19 in the second. He also took his maiden first class wicket and took his first wicket in the third innings of the match against England. He missed a season to train with the Australian field hockey team for the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. Booth also played hockey in Perthville and began playing for St.
George upon his arrival in Sydney. In 1950, Booth represented New South Australia Country against a combined Sydney team, and moved to St. George to play on a weekly basis two years later. In 1955, Booth had a key role in New South South Wales’ last match against Len Hutton’s English cricket team at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It was only the second loss for the tourists’ men and the last match in Booth’s last season in the team. In 1957–58, he held down a regular position in the state team while the Test players were touring overseas. Booth gradually progressed and gained selection on the 1959–60 Australian Second XI tour to New Zealand. In 1961, Booth made two centuries in the 1962–63 home Test series against England, establishing himself in the Test team. The following summer, he made two further centuries the following summer against South Africa and was named the Australian player of the year. Booth played his final Test series in 1965-66 against England and captaining Australia in the First and Third Tests because Bob Simpson was sidelined with a broken wrist and chickenpox respectively. The First Test was drawn but Australia fell to its first innings defeat in almost ten years in the Third Test. As he was also in a form slump, Booth was dropped as the Australian selectors made mass changes, ending his career. He was selected to play for the Australian team that toured England in 1961 and played the final two Tests.
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