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English
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England
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Eng
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Major Booth
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Cricket_no_picpng
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Right-handed batsman (RHB)
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Right-arm medium-fast
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2
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46
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2300
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0/0
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32
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312
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7
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1857
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0
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0
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4/49
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0/0
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162
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4,753
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2329
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2/21
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210
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25,189
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603
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1982
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43
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9
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8/47
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120/0
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13 December
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1913
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3 March
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1914
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, better known as William Booth, (born
10 December 1886 in Lowtown,
Pudsey ,
Yorkshire ,
England ; died
1 July 1916 near
La Cigny ,
France ) was a
Cricket er 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 .
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.
His best feats with the ball may be summarised thus:
- 8 in inns. for 52, Yorkshire v. Leicestershire, at Sheffield 1912
- 8 in inns. for 47, Yorkshire v. Middlesex, at Leeds 1912
- 8 in inns. for 86, Yorkshire v. Middlesex, at Sheffield: 1913
- 7 in inns. for 21, Yorkshire v. M. C. C. and Ground, at Lord's 1914
- 8 in inns. for 64, Yorkshire v. Essex, at Leyton 1914
- 14 in match for 160, Yorkshire v. Essex, at Leyton 1914
- 3 wkts in 3 balls, Yorkshire v. Worcestershire, at Bardford 1911
- 3 wkts in 3 balls Yorkshire v. Essex, at Leyton 1912
- 3 wkts in 4 balls Yorkshire v. Warwickshire, at Sheffield 1913
- 3 wkts in 4 balls Yorkshire v. M. C. C. and Ground, at Lord's 1914
- 3 wkts in 4 balls Yorkshire v. Kent, at Sheffield 1914
In two consecutive matches in August, 1914, he and Drake bowled unchanged throughout, Gloucestershire being dismissed for 94 and 84 at Bristol and
Somerset for 44 and 90 at Weston-super-Mare. In the second innings of the latter match Booth had the very rare experience of bowling throughout without obtaining a wicket, Drake taking all 10 for 35 runs.
In 1913 Booth was chosen for the Players at
Lord's , and during 1913-14 toured South Africa with the M.C.C.'s team under Douglas' captaincy. His doings abroad were somewhat disappointing, and so strong was the side that he was left out of three of the Test matches. In the 144 games in which he appeared for Yorkshire he scored 4,213 runs with an average of 22.65 and obtained 556 wickets for 18.89 runs each. Tall of stature, good-looking, and of engaging address, Booth was a very popular figure both on and off the cricket field.
On
1 July 1916 he went "over the top" followed a short while later by another wave of soldiers one of whom was
Abe Waddington (later also Yorkshire and England). Waddington was hit and found himself in a shell hole with Booth and held him till he died. Booth's body then remained there until the spring, when he was buried at Serre Road No 1 Cemetery.
