Brian Booth - Early Years

Early Years

The son of "Snowy" Booth, a market gardener and talented country cricketer, Booth was born in Perthville, located 9 km (5.6 mi) outside the New South Wales regional town of Bathurst. His father hung pictures of Don Bradman and Stan McCabe on the wall and told him that "these are the two greatest living cricketers". Booth represented Bathurst High School at the age of 13 and played first grade cricket in Bathurst at 15. He was selected for a New South Wales youth country side at the age of just 14. In 1950, Booth represented New South Wales Country against a combined Sydney team, and moved to St. George to play on a weekly basis two years later. He made the first grade team at the age of 19 and began a four-year course at Sydney Teachers College. Booth also played hockey in Perthville and began playing for St. George upon his arrival in Sydney.

Booth made his first-class debut for New South Wales against Queensland in the 1954–55 Sheffield Shield. He made a duck in the first innings before adding 19 in the second. New South Wales won, but Booth was dropped when the Test players returned from international duty. Booth was recalled a month later for a match against Len Hutton's English cricket team at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Arthur Morris and Bill Watson had to withdraw at late notice and Booth was asked to play, having already started his day's work as a teacher at Hurlstone Agricultural College. He caught a train and arrived at the ground more than half an hour after the start of play, by which time New South Wales had collapsed to 3/12. New South Wales fell further to 5/26 before Booth came in with a borrowed cap and bat to join Peter Philpott. They put on an 83-run partnership, and Booth eventually finished the innings unbeaten on 74 as the hosts folded for 172. Booth made a duck in the second innings and took his maiden first-class wicket as New South Wales defeated Hutton's men. It was only the tourists' second loss for the campaign, and the last match in Booth's debut season.

Booth had a low key season in 1955–56, struggling to find a regular position in the New South Wales team. As there were no international matches during the summer, the Test players were available for the whole campaign. He played in six matches and had few opportunities, managing only 157 runs at 31.40, passing fifty on only one occasion. New South Wales went on to claim a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles.

Booth was selected for the New South Wales hockey team in 1955 and toured New Zealand in 1956 in preparation for the Olympics. Good performances on this tour led to his selection in the Australian Olympic squad for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, but he had an anxious wait following media claims that he had received out of pocket expenses for playing cricket, which would make him a professional and therefore ineligible to participate in the Olympics. Eventually, Booth and fellow first-class cricketers Ian Dick and Maurice Foley were cleared to play for Australia.

Booth then missed the 1956–57 Sheffield Shield season because he was part of the Australian field hockey team that finished fifth at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. Booth was selected as an inside left, but was not utilised in any of Australia's matches. In his absence, New South Wales won a fourth consecutive domestic title.

In 1957–58, the Australian Test team toured South Africa during the southern hemisphere summer, opening up opportunities in the Shield competition back in Australia. Booth established himself at first-class level with 503 runs at 50.30. After scoring two fifties, he broke through for his maiden first-class century against Victoria at the SCG, in his last match of the season. He put on a partnership of 325 with future Test team-mate Norm O'Neill in fewer than four hours. It was his fifteenth first-class match, and helped his state secure a fifth successive title with a ten-wicket win over their arch-rivals. With the Test players returning to Australia in 1958–59, Booth again faced more competition for places. He struggled, playing six matches and aggregating only 190 runs at 31.66. He only had six innings for the entire season, and in his only opportunity against Peter May's touring Englishmen, he made a duck. Booth passed 50 on two occasions during the season, making 75 and 85. In one high-scoring match against South Australia, he took 0/97 with his part-time off spin.