Major William Booth (10 December 1886 in Lowtown, Pudsey
, Yorkshire, England – 1 July 1916 near La Cigny, France) was a cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1908 and 1914, a season in which he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Note that “Major” was a given name, not a military rank. His international career was restricted to the 1913-14 tour of South Africa, which was the last Test match tour before the First World War. After receiving a commission in the West Yorkshire Regiment, Booth became Second Lieutenant Major Booth, and died just under a year later when he went over the top on the trenches on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Somme offensive.
His best feats with the ball may be summarised thus: In two consecutive matches in August, 1914, he and 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 MCCs team under Douglas captaincy. His doings abroad were somewhat disappointing, and so strong was the side that he was left out of three of the Test matches. In the 144 games in which he appeared for Yorkshire Booth scored 4,213 runs with an average of 22.65 and obtained 556 wickets for 18.89 runs each. Tall of stature, good-looking, and of engaging address, Booth was a very popular figure both on and off the cricket field. Booth was brought up at Town End House near the Britannia Inn at Pudsey. He was the best man at Roy Kilner’s wedding and the latter named a son after him. There is a memorial tablet in St Lawrence Church in memory of 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 22 December 1915, before returning to the Western Front. On 1 July 1916 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. Booth’s body then remained there until the spring, when he was buried at Serre Road No 1 Cemetery.Overview
Career
Notable Feats
Army Service