Booth Major Image 1 Yorkshire 1912

Description

Lowtown, Pudsey, Yorkshire born all-rounder Major Booth’s name was in fact his forename and not his Army rank. Booth’s earliest club cricket was played 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 Second Eleven in 1907 and the two following seasons, and in 1908 made his first class debut in a County Championship match against Somerset at Dewsbury, playing without success.

A right-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, 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 74 wickets, with a highest innings of 210 against Worcestershire on the Worcester ground. Booth increased his reputation as a bowler in the following summer, and in 1913 made over a thousand runs and took 158 wickets for Yorkshire, whilst his aggregate of 181 wickets in first class matches was the highest of any bowler that season.

In 1914 he was not so successful in batting – it was said during the 1913 season that he should concentrate on bowling as his build was not ideal for hard work – but he took 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:

8-47, Yorkshire v. Middlesex, at Leeds 1912
8-52, Yorkshire v. Leicestershire, at Sheffield 1912
8-64, Yorkshire v. Essex, at Leyton 1914
8-86, Yorkshire v. Middlesex, at Sheffield: 1913
7-21, Yorkshire v. MCC and Ground, at Lord’s 1914
14-160 (match figures), Yorkshire v. Essex, at Leyton 1914
Hat-trick, Yorkshire v. Worcestershire, at Bradford 1911
Hat-trick, Yorkshire v. Essex, at Leyton 1912
3 wkts in 4 balls Yorkshire v. Warwickshire, at Sheffield 1913
3 wkts in 4 balls Yorkshire v. MCC 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 Alonso 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 ten for 35 runs.

In 1913 Booth was chosen for The Players at Lord’s, and during 1913-14 toured South Africa with M.C.C.’s team under Johnny Douglas’ captaincy. He was left out of three of the Test matches but made his England debut at Durban in December 1913, also playing in the Test match at Port Elizabeth in February 1914, his only Test matches. He took 7 wickets in those matches at 18.5 apiece including 4-49 in the latter Test, and made a best score of 32, batting only twice.

In the 144 games in which he appeared for Yorkshire Booth scored 4,213 runs with an average of 22.65 and claimed 556 wickets for 18.89 runs each. In a total of 162 first class matches he took 603 wickets at 19.82 apiece, bowling 9 ten wicket matches and 43 five wicket innings. With the bat he scored 4,753 runs at an average of 23.29, with two centuries and 21 half centuries. His highest score came against Worcestershire in 1911 when he scored 210 in four hours. He also took 120 catches in first class play.

Booth also had a short football career with Bradford City and Midland League club Doncaster Rovers but didn’t play in the Football League for The Bantams. His brief Doncaster Rovers career came in 1909-10 when he joined the club having been on Bradford City’s books. He made his debut on 4th September 1909 in a 1-1 draw with Denaby United at The Intake Ground. In his second game, away at Denaby, he sustained a ligament strain. He went on in all to appear in five Midland League games, failing to score, and played his last game on 16th October 1909 at Grimsby Town. His cricketing partner in crime, Alonso Drake, perhaps better known as a footballer than a cricketer, was also a former Doncaster Rovers player in an earlier period.

Tall of stature, good looking, and of engaging address, Booth was a very popular figure both on and off the cricket field. Booth was the best man at Roy Kilner’s wedding and the latter named a son after him.

In the First World War Booth joined the British Army as an enlisted man and rose to the rank of sergeant before being commissioned as a second lieutenant on 16 July 1915. Later that year he was posted to Egypt, arriving on 22nd December 1915, before returning to the Western Front. On 1st July 1916, by now with the rank of Second Lieutenant, he went “over the top” near La Cigny on the Somme while serving with the 15th (Service) Battalion, the West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own), also known as “The Leeds Pals”. He was followed a short while later by another wave of soldiers among whom was Abe Waddington (later also Yorkshire and England). Waddington was hit and found himself in a shell hole with Booth, who was also injured, and held him until he died, one of some 19,000 British soldiers killed that day in British military history’s greatest day of disaster. Booth’s body then remained there until the Spring, when he was buried at Serre Road No 1 Cemetery. There is a memorial tablet in St Lawrence Church in his memory.

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