George Brown (cricketer, born 1887): Difference between revisions

 

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==Later life and death==

==Later life and death==

[[File:Winchester – Registrars Office – geograph.org.uk – 2388090.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Brown was landlord of the South Western Inn (building pictured in 2010)|alt=A colour photo of a former pub]]

Brown coached cricket at [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst|Royal Military College]], before becoming a publican in Winchester when he became landlord of the South Western Inn.<ref name=”HCCC”/> In 1935, he was charged with serving alcohol after-hours, but was found not guilty.<ref name=”ECHO”>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16410658.howzat-new-book-launched-appeal/|title=HOWZAT: New book launched after appeal|work=[[Southern Daily Echo|Daily Echo]]|location=Southampton|date=10 August 2018|access-date=22 November 2025}}</ref> During the 1950s, he was employed as a [[Parking enforcement officer|parking attendant]] in Winchester, often patrolling wearing his England cricket blazer.<ref name=”ECHO”/> In his latter years, he survived several illnesses that Arlott remarked that “only his mighty constitution could have survived”.{{sfn|Arlott|1982|page=25}} Brown died in hospital in [[Winchester]] on 3 December 1964.<ref name=”OBIT”/> He was subsequently cremated and his ashes spread over the County Ground in Southampton.{{sfn|Martin-Jenkins|1996|page=189}}

Brown coached cricket at [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst|Royal Military College]], before becoming a publican in Winchester when he became landlord of the South Western Inn.<ref name=”HCCC”/> In 1935, he was charged with serving alcohol after-hours, but was found not guilty.<ref name=”ECHO”>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/16410658.howzat-new-book-launched-appeal/|title=HOWZAT: New book launched after appeal|work=[[Southern Daily Echo|Daily Echo]]|location=Southampton|date=10 August 2018|access-date=22 November 2025}}</ref> During the 1950s, he was employed as a [[Parking enforcement officer|parking attendant]] in Winchester, often patrolling wearing his England cricket blazer.<ref name=”ECHO”/> In his latter years, he survived several illnesses that Arlott remarked that “only his mighty constitution could have survived”.{{sfn|Arlott|1982|page=25}} Brown died in hospital in [[Winchester]] on 3 December 1964.<ref name=”OBIT”/> He was subsequently cremated and his ashes spread over the County Ground in Southampton.{{sfn|Martin-Jenkins|1996|page=189}}

Brown was included in a 2005 list of Hampshire cult figures.<ref name=”CULT”>{{cite web| date= December 2005 | url= http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdencricketer/content/story/229628.html| title= Hampshire cult heroes| publisher =ESPNcricinfo| accessdate=10 December 2009}}</ref>

Brown was included in a 2005 list of Hampshire cult figures.<ref name=”CULT”>{{cite web| date= December 2005 | url= http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdencricketer/content/story/229628.html| title= Hampshire cult heroes| publisher =ESPNcricinfo| accessdate=10 December 2009}}</ref>

English cricketer

George Brown (6 October 1887 – 3 December 1964) was an English professional cricketer who played in seven Test matches between 1921 and 1923.

Brown was born at Cowley in October 1887,^[1] the son of Edwin Brown and Sarah Ann (née Casey). Brown was offered a trial at Hampshire in 1906, walking the 60 miles from Oxford to Southampton hauling his possessions in a tin trunk.^[2] He subsequently joined the ground staff at Hampshire alongside Alex Bowell, Alec Kennedy, Walter Livsey, Phil Mead, and Jack Newman; together, they formed the first major intake of professional cricketers at Hampshire.^[3] An all-rounder, Brown made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against the touring Gentlemen of Philadelphia at Southampton in 1908, deputising as wicket-keeper for Jimmy Stone.^[4] He established himself in the Hampshire team in 1909, making 23 first-class appearances, making 530 runs at an average of 17.09.^[5] With his medium pace bowling, he took 3 wickets at a bowling average of 25.03.^[6] In just his second County Championship match, he claimed his maiden five wicket haul with figures 5 for 47 against Somerset;^[7] he would follow that up by taking five wickets or more in an innings twice more.^[6]

In the same number of first-class appearances in 1910, Brown scored 859 runs at an average of 26.84,^[6] recording his maiden first-class century with an unbeaten 106 runs against Middlesex in the County Championship in June.^[8] He took 23 wickets across the season, averaging 22.56 and taking one five wicket haul.^[6] Following the conclusion of the 1910 season, Brown was selected to tour the West Indies with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in February–April 1910.^[9] He made eleven first-class appearances on the tour, against various regional representative sides and the West Indian team.^[4] The tour was not a success for Brown, with him scoring 298 runs at an average of 14.90 and taking 9 wickets at an average of 45.44.^[5][6] In the 1911 English season, he had his most successful season as a bowler, taking 88 wickets at an average of 25.89; he took five wickets or more in an innings on five occasions and took ten wickets in a match once.^[6] Brown claimed six wickets in an innings twice during the season, against Somerset (6 for 24) and Yorkshire (6 for 48).^[1] He ended the season as Hampshire’s leading wicket-taker in the County Championship, 20 ahead of Newman’s 67 wickets.^[10] He also passed a thousand runs in a season for the first time, scoring 1,327 runs at an average of 27.64 from 27 appearances, with two centuries.^[5]

Brown was less prolific in 1912, scoring 630 runs at an average of 20.32 from 29 appearances,^[5] whilst taking 47 wickets at an average of 31.82.^[6] He did, however, play an important part in Hampshire’s defeat of the touring Australians, taking four key wickets in the match.^[11] His form with both bat and ball improved in 1913, with him passed a thousand runs in a season for the second time and achieving his career best bowling figures. With the bat, he scored with 1,263 runs at an average of 25.26.^[5] Against Essex at Leyton, after Hampshire had been asked to follow-on 317 runs behind Essex’s first innings total, he made an unbeaten 140 runs.^[13] During the innings, he shared in a seventh wicket partnership of 325 runs with Cecil Abercrombie (165 runs);^[14] as of 2025 this remains a Hampshire record for the seventh wicket.^[15] With the ball, he was Hampshire’s second highest wicket-taker in the County Championship with 83 wickets, behind Newman’s 105.^[16] He achieved his career-best bowling figures (8 for 55) against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham, a bowling display characterised by him illiciting considerable swing.^[17]

In the 1914 season, which was truncated in August by the outbreak of the First World War, he scored 890 runs at an average of 18.54 from 30 matches, but did not manage to score a century.^[5] With the ball, he took 54 wickets at an average of 27.85, but did not achieve any five wicket hauls.^[6] With the MCC President Francis Lacey confirming the cessation of cricket during the war, first-class cricket in England was suspended until 1919. Unlike many of his peers, Brown would not immedidately sign up for service in the war, but would be conscripted in 1917, though he would not see action.

After the conclusion of the war, Brown returned to a Hampshire team that had been greatly weakened by the deaths of several pre-war players in the conflict.^[20] Upon the resumption of first-class cricket in 1919, Brown was selected to represent the Players for the first time in the Gentlemen versus Players match at The Oval in July,^[1] whilst later in the season he was chosen to play for the South against the Australian Imperial Forces.^[4] Across the 1919 season, Brown made 19 first-class appearances. In these, he scored 978 runs at an average of 34.92, recording one century and six half centuries.^[5] In the latter half of the season, he kept wicket in place of Sydney Maartensz, who was himself deputising for Walter Livsey, who was still on active military service.^[21] Despite his bowling not being utilised in the season (he bowled just 387 balls and took 5 wickets)^[6], he was adjudged to be the best all-rounder in England in August 1919.^[22]

From 27 appearances in 1920, Brown scored 1,889 runs at an average of 43.93; he made six centuries during the season,^[5] including a double-century (232 not out) in June, that contributed toward an innings victory against the reigning County Champions Yorkshire.^[1][14] Earlier in the month against Gloucestershire, he shared in a Hampshire record partnership of 321 runs for the second wicket with Edward Barrett, a record that would stand until 2011, when surpassed by James Adams and Michael Carberry.^[24] He would end the season as Hampshire’s leading run scorer in the County Championship.^[25] With Kennedy and Newman leading Hampshire’s bowling attack, Brown ended the season with 26 wickets at an average of 30.96 in the County Championship.^[26] During the season, Brown made his second appearance for the Players in the Gentlemen versus Players match at Lord’s, with his double-century against Yorkshire earning him selection in the match.^[27] Midway through the season, Accrington of the Lancashire League attempted to sign Brown as their professional for the 1921 season, but the move never materialised.^[28]

As his figures indicate, he was a very versatile cricketer, being useful as a batsman of stout hearted disposition, a bowler of considerable ability and a wicketkeeper, as well as a fine fieldsman in every position. He played first-class cricket for Hampshire between 1908 and 1933. Though he was never their regular keeper, it was in that role that he played for England, with stiffening the batting in mind.^[29]

A. A. Thomson later described him as “one of the few English heroes of the ill-starred 1921 Tests”.

Bill Frindall later described Brown as “an outstanding all-round cricketer in the fullest sense”, and further opined that he was “a dashing left-handed batsman”. Summarising his all-round credentials, A. A. Thomson wrote that he “could bat, bowl, keep wicket”. His height and physical build was well suited to his aggressive batting style, though he was also sound in defence when the situation in a match demanded a more measured approach. He used his physicality to mock his opponents, as he did against Kent in 1913 when he deliberately “chested” two deliveries from Arthur Fielder, laughing as he did so and remarking “He’s not fast”;^[2] at the time, Fielder was considered the fastest bowler in England.

He would score a thousand runs or more in a season on eleven occasions.

Brown often fielded at silly point, being described as a “fearless close fielder” by Frindall. Despite not being Hampshire’s regular wicket-keeper, Gilbert Jessop said that he proved himself to be a brilliant wicket-keeper at Test level.^[32] Thomson described how his fielding was aided by having “carpet-bag hands” and that he could “stop a cannon-ball anywhere else in the field”.. The Hampshire Advertiser considered Brown to be “the finest fielder in the world” in 1920.^[33]

Brown coached cricket at Royal Military College, before becoming a publican in Winchester when he became landlord of the South Western Inn.^[14] In 1935, he was charged with serving alcohol after-hours, but was found not guilty.^[34] During the 1950s, he was employed as a parking attendant in Winchester, often patrolling wearing his England cricket blazer.^[34] In his latter years, he survived several illnesses that Arlott remarked that “only his mighty constitution could have survived”. Brown died in hospital in Winchester on 3 December 1964.^[1] He was subsequently cremated and his ashes spread over the County Ground in Southampton.
Brown was included in a 2005 list of Hampshire cult figures.^[2]