107 Facts About Brian Booth

Brian Charles Booth was an Australian cricketer who played in 29 Test matches between 1961 and 1966, and 93 first-class matches for New South Wales.

Brian Booth had an inclination to use his feet to charge spin bowlers.

Brian Booth was known for his sportsmanship on the field and often invoked Christianity while discussing ethics and sport.

Brian Booth struggled to make an impression early in his career and missed a season to train with the Australian field hockey team for the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne.

Brian Booth was selected for the Australian team that toured England in 1961 and played in the final two Tests.

Brian Booth made two further centuries the following summer against South Africa and was named the Australian player of the year.

In retirement, Brian Booth returned to his teaching duties and served as a Baptist lay-preacher.

Brian Booth was inducted into the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame in 2014.

Brian Booth's father hung pictures of Don Bradman and Stan McCabe on the wall and told him that "these are the two greatest living cricketers".

Brian Booth represented Bathurst High School at the age of 13 and played first grade cricket in Bathurst at 15.

Brian Booth was selected for a New South Wales youth countryside at the age of just 14.

In 1950, Brian Booth represented New South Wales Country against a combined Sydney team, and moved to St George to play on a weekly basis two years later.

Brian Booth made the first grade team at the age of 19 and began a four-year course at Sydney Teachers College.

Brian Booth played hockey in Perthville and began playing for St George upon his arrival in Sydney.

Brian Booth made a duck in the first innings before adding 19 in the second.

New South Wales won, but Brian Booth was dropped when the Test players returned from international duty.

Brian Booth was recalled a month later for a match against Len Hutton's English cricket team at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Arthur Morris and Bill Watson had to withdraw at late notice and Brian Booth was asked to play, having already started his day's work as a teacher at Hurlstone Agricultural College.

Brian Booth made a duck in the second innings and took his maiden first-class wicket as New South Wales defeated Hutton's men.

Brian Booth played in six matches and had few opportunities, managing only 157 runs at 31.40, passing fifty on only one occasion.

Brian Booth was selected for the New South Wales hockey team in 1955 and toured New Zealand in 1956.

Brian Booth was selected as an inside left but was not utilised in any of Australia's matches.

Brian Booth established himself at first-class level with 503 runs at 50.30.

Brian Booth put on a partnership of 325 with future Test teammate Norm O'Neill in fewer than four hours.

Brian Booth struggled, playing six matches and aggregating only 190 runs at 31.66.

Brian Booth passed 50 on two occasions during the season, making 75 and 85.

Brian Booth had a strong first-class season, scoring 718 runs at 65.27 with two centuries to place third on the run-scoring aggregates.

Brian Booth started the season with 168 as New South Wales defeated Queensland by an innings before scoring 177 two matches later in an innings win over South Australia.

Brian Booth's state completed a seventh Sheffield Shield triumph in succession.

Brian Booth's performances saw him selected for a second choice Australian team that toured New Zealand under the captaincy of Ian Craig.

Brian Booth scored 105 in his first innings for his country, in a victory over Auckland.

Brian Booth scored 184 runs at 30.66 and took three wickets at 25.00 in the four international matches against New Zealand.

Brian Booth considered retiring after the season, feeling that the time needed for first-class cricket was impinging on his work as a lay preacher and a Christian youth worker.

Brian Booth aggregated 981 runs at an average of 65.40, with three centuries.

Brian Booth's productivity helped his state to another Sheffield Shield win.

Brian Booth was then selected for the Ashes tour of England in 1961; he and Victorian opening batsman Bill Lawry, the two uncapped batsmen in the team, were regarded as the last two players chosen.

Brian Booth quickly gained a reputation for his attention to physical fitness.

Brian Booth led the Australians in their morning exercises during the sea voyage, which captain Richie Benaud made optional.

Brian Booth made 59 against the Marylebone Cricket Club, but was overlooked for the first three Tests.

Brian Booth played consistently, with two more half-centuries to earn his debut in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford in place of Colin McDonald.

Brian Booth was struck in the torso by his first ball, a bouncer that did not rise as high as he expected.

Brian Booth only managed nine in the second innings before Australia retained the Ashes after an English collapse on the final day resulted in a 54-run win.

Brian Booth featured in a 185-run partnership with Peter Burge.

Brian Booth was dismissed for 71 while attempting to loft the spin of Tony Lock over the infield, as captain Richie Benaud needed quick runs; observers felt the need to attack cost Brian Booth his maiden Test century.

Brian Booth added three more 70s in the closing tour matches before the team returned to Australia.

Brian Booth scored 507 runs at 42.25 with two centuries, against Queensland and South Australia.

Brian Booth placed 13th on the run-scoring aggregates, helping New South Wales to win its ninth consecutive Sheffield Shield.

Brian Booth scored his maiden Test century in the First Test at the Gabba, compiling 112 in the first innings of a high scoring draw.

Thirteen players reached fifty, but Brian Booth was the only player to reach three figures.

English captain Ted Dexter attempted to shut down Brian Booth's scoring by employing leg theory.

Brian Booth took six hours to reach triple figures and hit only four boundaries.

Brian Booth's innings was not enough to prevent England from completing a seven-wicket victory.

Brian Booth was unable to maintain his form for the rest of the season, with 34 and 77 in the Fourth Test in Adelaide being the only other times that he passed 20.

Australia won the Third Test, drawing the series, and Brian Booth ended the series with 404 runs at 50.50.

Brian Booth added a further three fifties in the Sheffield Shield as Victoria ended New South Wales' nine-year winning streak.

Brian Booth scored centuries in his first two innings, recording 121 and 169 not out against Queensland and Western Australia respectively.

Brian Booth went on to accumulate his Test best of 169 from 81 overs of batting, in a display that gained wide praise because of his elegant stroke-making.

Brian Booth finished the series in the Fifth Test in his hometown, top-scoring in both of Australia's innings, with 102 not out and 87 in a draw.

Some observers felt that the personable Brian Booth would have been more popular among the playing group than Simpson, while others thought that he would not have been hard-nosed enough in pursuing his team's competitive interest.

Brian Booth again ran daily fitness classes during the voyage, and on this occasion, Simpson made them compulsory for the players.

Brian Booth started the tour well, scoring 109 not out in his third match for the summer, against Surrey.

Brian Booth passed 50 three more times before the start of the Tests, when his form waned.

Brian Booth failed to pass 20 in the first six innings of the Test series.

Brian Booth regained his touch with three scores beyond fifty in four innings leading up to the Fourth Test, including 132 against Middlesex.

Brian Booth made 74 in the Fifth Test and ended the series with 210 runs at 42.00.

Brian Booth had a mediocre time, passing fifty only once, with 74 in the Second Test at Bombay's Brabourne Stadium.

At the time, cricket matches in Australia and England were typically interrupted by the Sunday rest day, and Brian Booth used these for religious observances.

Brian Booth wanted to withdraw for personal reasons but decided to play due to injuries and illnesses to other players.

Brian Booth made 57 in a Test against Pakistan in Melbourne upon arrival in Australia.

Brian Booth scored 115 for his state against the Pakistanis and ended the Australian season with 327 runs at 46.71.

Brian Booth then made 117 in the Second Test at Port of Spain in Trinidad, an innings that included a stand of 228 with Bob Cowper, which helped Australia hang on for a draw.

Brian Booth had particular trouble with the pace of Griffith, and on one occasion, the paceman hit him on the nose before yorking him on the next ball; Booth maintains that he did not see the ball.

Brian Booth added two more fifties in the four first-class matches outside the Tests.

Brian Booth won the toss and elected to bat; fewer than two hours of play was possible on a rain-shortened first day, and the second day was entirely washed out.

When Geoff Boycott pushed a ball from leg spinner Peter Philpott away with his hand, Brian Booth refused to appeal for handling the ball.

The tourists made 488 and Brian Booth scored eight as Australia replied with 221 and were forced to follow on.

Brian Booth made 27 in the second innings before being bowled by David Allen as the hosts fell to an innings defeat.

The revamped team won the next Test by an innings, and Brian Booth never played for Australia again.

Brian Booth ended the first-class season with 596 runs at 29.80, including four half-centuries.

Brian Booth scored 149 against Queensland, and added four fifties, including two scores in the 90s.

Brian Booth was regarded as an elegant batsman who had an erect stance at the crease.

Brian Booth was known for not hitting the ball hard but for having an easy and relaxed style.

Brian Booth was particularly known for his late cut and cover drive, which he played in a manner not dissimilar to Mark Waugh.

Brian Booth was known for his quick footwork against spin bowling and was rarely stumped, and he had the ability to change his batting tempo.

Brian Booth quickly got into position and typically moved onto the back foot to cover his stumps.

Brian Booth started as a part-time leg spinner before converting to off spin.

Brian Booth had a reputation for walking when he knew that he was out, without waiting for the umpire's decision, and he was regarded as a player and leader of the highest principles.

Brian Booth was known for his record of instilling high standards of conduct into his players and prevented them from showing dissent towards unfavourable umpiring decisions.

Brian Booth became intensely religious in the 1950s after befriending Pastor Roy Gray, a colleague in district cricket and a classmate at Sydney Teachers College.

Gray challenged his friend's faith, and Brian Booth reflected that "Until that point, sport had really been my God".

Brian Booth co-authored Cricket and Christianity with Paul White and his autobiography, Brian Booth to Bat, with Paul White, and wrote Hockey Fundamentals.

Brian Booth believed that the foundations of sport were courtesy and fairness, and he condemned the prevalence of verbal jousting in the modern game.

Brian Booth appeared with the English Test opener Reverend David Sheppard at Sydney Town Hall and preached with Conrad Hunte in the West Indies.

Early in his state career, Brian Booth declined to join a Melbourne Cup gambling sweep organised by captain Keith Miller.

Brian Booth spent 12 years as a teacher in government secondary schools in New South Wales before becoming an instructor in physical education at Sydney Teachers College in 1967.

Brian Booth was the uncle of hammer thrower Brooke Krueger-Billett, who represented Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

In 1967, Brian Booth was appointed the founding chairman of the Youth Advisory Council, a body that sought to address community issues such as hooliganism.

Brian Booth was awarded life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club, the home of cricket.

Brian Booth had remained involved in grassroots cricket with St George.

Brian Booth had served as the club president among other positions on the executive committee, and served as a coach for many years.

Brian Booth was the patron of the St George Randwick Men's Hockey Club and the St George Women's Hockey Club.

In 1982, Brian Booth was awarded the MBE for "services to the community and sport".

In 2002, Brian Booth returned to the public spotlight when he condemned the sledging, or verbal intimidation tactics, that are used in modern cricket.

Brian Booth stated, "I can't remember in the games that I played in, I can't ever remember being sledged, and I can't ever remember sledging anybody", in reference to Steve Waugh's Australian team, which was perceived as being too hostile to opposing players.

Brian Booth was inducted into the Cricket NSW Hall of Fame in 2014 alongside Geoff Lawson and Margaret Peden.

Brian Booth was further honoured by the St George District Cricket Club in December 2020 as one of sixteen original inductees to the club's Hall of Fame.

On 19 May 2023, Cricket Australia announced that Brian Booth had died at age 89.