Robert Gillespie Broadbent (21 June 1924 – 26 April 1993) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Worcestershire between 1950 and 1963. He was capped by the county in 1951, and ten years later received a benefit season which raised £5,481. He was a fine close fielder, holding nearly 300 catches in his career.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Robert Gillespie Broadbent | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 21 June 1924 Beckenham, Kent, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 26 April 1993 (aged 68) Bromyard, Herefordshire, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right arm fast-medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1950–1963 | Worcestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964 | Hertfordshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 11 October 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Life and career
editBroadbent was educated at Caterham School, then became a navigator in the Royal Air Force.[1] By 1949 he was appearing for Middlesex's Second XI; he scored 82 for them against Glamorgan II in July of that year.[2]
He made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against Leicestershire at Grace Road in 1950; in a 177-run Worcestershire win Broadbent scored 77 and 29 not out.[3] Nevertheless, it proved to be his only first-class appearance of the summer.
Broadbent became much more of a regular in the Worcestershire side in 1951 and enjoyed a fine season, which saw him capped by the county. He finished the year with 1,370 first-class runs at an average of over 39, by some margin his highest average in any season.[4] In the course of this summer he hit what was to remain his highest score, a second-innings 155 against Middlesex in late June. Worcestershire had been in some trouble at 92/4, but Broadbent and captain Ronald Bird put on 132 for the fifth wicket and in the end the county ran out comfortable ten-wicket victors.[5]
In 1952 Broadbent hit 1,556 first-class runs, his highest season's aggregate, and he was to pass a thousand in five further seasons, the last of these being 1961. (He had a near miss in 1962, with 968 runs.) His Wisden obituary records that, although he was often forced to play a stubbornly solid role on account of Worcestershire's frequent difficulties, when the Australians visited in 1953 he hit Keith Miller out of the New Road ground.[1] In 1955, against Sussex at Hove, he hit two sixes off successive balls from Robin Marlar; both balls went right out of the ground and were lost.[6]
Broadbent remained a regular in the side until the early 1960s, and stayed with the county just long enough to take part in some of the first one-day games, contributing an important 51, as part of a vital stand of 116 with Tom Graveney (93), to Worcestershire's Gillette Cup quarter-final victory over Glamorgan in June 1963.[7] He also played in the final, which Worcestershire lost narrowly, but failed in making only 13.[8]
Broadbent played no more first-class cricket after 1963, but he did turn out a few times in minor counties matches for Hertfordshire, making one List A appearance when Hertfordshire travelled to Durham in the first round of the 1964 Gillette Cup. It was a chastening experience: Broadbent himself scored 2, and Extras (13) was the highest score as Hertfordshire were bowled out for 63, losing by seven wickets.[9]
Outside cricket, Broadbent was an accomplished hockey player, good enough to represent Worcestershire.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Obituary. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1994.
- ^ "Middlesex Second XI v Glamorgan Second XI in 1949". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ "Leicestershire v Worcestershire in 1950". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ "First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Bob Broadbent". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ "Worcestershire v Middlesex in 1951". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ Gerald Brodribb, in Benny Green (ed), Benny Green's Cricket Archive, Pavilion Books, London, 1985, p. 155.
- ^ "Glamorgan v Worcestershire in 1963". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ "Sussex v Worcestershire in 1963". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
- ^ "Durham v Hertfordshire in 1964". CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 October 2008.
References
edit- Bob Broadbent at CricketArchive (subscription required)
- Bob Broadbent at ESPNcricinfo