Major Booth

Major William Booth, better known as William Booth, (born 10 December 1886 in Lowtown, Pudsey, Yorkshire, England; died 1 July 1916 near La Cigny, France) was a cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1908 and 1914, a season in which he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. His international career was restricted to playing for England in the 1913-14 tour of South Africa, which was the last Test match tour before the First World War. After receiving a battlefield commission, Booth was known as Second Lieutenant Major Booth, and died soon afterwards when he went over the top on the trenches on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Somme offensive.

Overview

His earliest cricket was played at Fulneck School, and later he was associated with Pudsey St. Lawrence and the Wath Athletic Club, which played in the Mexborough League, and of which he was captain. He appeared regularly for Yorkshire 2nd XI in 1907 and two following seasons, and in 1908 received his first trial for the County. He did not, however, secure a regular place in the team until two years later, but in 1911 he scored 1,125 runs for his county and took seventy-four wickets, with a highest innings of 210 against Worcestershire on the Worcester ground. He increased his reputation as a bowler in the following summer, and in 1913 made over a thousand runs and took 158 wickets of Yorkshire, his aggregate of 181 wickets in first-class matches being the highest of any bowler that season. In 1914 he was not so successful in batting, but he obtained 141 wickets for Yorkshire at a cost of 18 runs apiece. Although a fine punishing batsman, Booth's claim to fame will rest chiefly upon what he accomplished as a bowler. Possessed of a free, natural action, he made the ball come quickly off the pitch. On occasion his off-break was quite formidable, but his strong points were swerve and pace off the ground.

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