An open letter to Brian Booth’s family and the St George District Cricket from Western Suburbs District Cricket Club
Western Suburbs District Cricket Club Sydney | May 22, 2023
On the passing of dual international Brian Booth MBE on Friday, May 19th, 2023, the President, Board, Coaches, Players, and Supporters of Wests Cricket extend their deepest sympathies to Brian's wife Judy and their four daughters and their families.
It has been a very difficult year for St. George Club, with Brian’s contemporary, great friend and Saints’ legend, Warren Saunders passing on March 1st, 2023.
Brian played with, at State and Australian level, Wests’ icons such as Alan Davidson and Bob Simpson, and against them in one of the greatest Sydney club rivalries during the 1950’s and 60’s.
In fact, during his 29 Test career, Brian replaced Bob Simpson as captain for two Tests during the 1965-66 Ashes series.
A classy and graceful right-hand batsman, Booth enhanced Richie Benaud’s victorious Test sides, producing elegant stroke-making to complement the power of O’Neill and Burge and the busy, aggressive styles of Harvey and Simpson in the top six.
NSW and Australia were virtually unbeatable in Booth’s time…and so were his beloved St. George club.
In his Test career, he scored 1,773 runs at 42.21, over 29 Tests. In 93 appearances for NSW, which he also captained on occasion, Brian scored 5,577 runs at 43.57 backed up by 10,674 runs accumulated at St. George at an average of 45.4. Mr. Consistency! He was a more than useful bowler, taking 110 wickets for Saints.
Additionally, Booth represented Australia in hockey at the 1956 Olympics.
Brian was renowned for his sportsmanship and sense of fair play and carried himself with grace and dignity. To conduct a search for someone who didn’t respect and admire him would be futile.
An indelible memory of Brian Booth and his devotion to his St. George Club and the people in it, is when in 2019, Brian travelled to Canberra to encourage exciting young Saints batsman Kurtis Patterson in his second Test. Brian’s genuine excitement for Patterson’s debut century provided the complete illustration of club spirit.
What made Brian’s trip and Kurtis’ century even more significant was Patterson’s century was the first scored by a St. George player in a Test since Brian’s last Test century when he scored 117 against the West Indies in the second Test at Port of Spain 54 years earlier, in the 1965 series.
If another genuine Australian sportsman with Brian Booth’s ability, style and dignity should arrive on the scene, let’s hope we all live long enough to see it.
No doubt, Brian is experiencing a well-deserved eternal reward.
God Speed, Brian Booth MBE.