Born On This Day: 6th October

Today is the anniversary of the birth of George Brown, a great Hampshire cricketer who might claim to be the finest all-rounder in the club’s history. Brown’s debut in 1907, completed the quartet of great professionals, Brown, Kennedy, Mead and Newman who would transform Hampshire’s fortunes for the next quarter-of-a-century.

In 1921, he opened the batting and kept wicket for England v Australia, while on other occasions he fielded superbly at mid-off, bowled with pace well enough to take 626 first-class wickets, and with 22,962 runs for the county, stands third behind Mead and Marshall in Hampshire’s highest scorers. In all first-class cricket, he scored 37 centuries and 111 half-centuries, held 567 catches and added 79 stumpings.

In 1913 He shared with Cecil Abercrombie a record seventh wicket stand of 325 v Essex at Leyton which still stands, His highest score came in 1920 when he made 232* v Yorkshire at Headingley, the major contribution to an astonishing performance by Hampshire against the reigning champions as Hampshire won by an innings, losing just the two wickets. But perhaps his finest moment came in the historic victory against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in 1922, as Hampshire, bowled out for 15, followed-on, and when Brown arrived at 127-4, they were still 81 behind. He and Livsey added 167 for the ninth wicket, and after Brown went for 172, Warwickshire got nowhere close to their target of 315.  Brown retired approaching his 46th birthday, was briefly, an umpire, then coached at Sandhurst before taking a pub in Winchester. John Arlott observed “here was a great cricketer”.

Other Hampshire birthdays today Rev William Jephson, Guy Jewell and Keith Stevenson.