Dennis Brookes
Encyclopedia
Dennis Brookes was an English
cricketer
who played for Northamptonshire
between 1934 and 1959 (and as captain between 1954 and 1957). He also played in one Test match
for England
against West Indies
in 1948. Brookes was President of Northamptonshire from 1982 to 1984. A cultured and prolific opening batsman, Brookes was the first professional skipper at Northamptonshire, and became both county president and a Justice of the peace
.
, Leeds
. He attended Kippax Council School, where he was captain of cricket and football. After being spotted playing club cricket
as a teenager, he joined Northamptonshire in 1934
, making his debut against Yorkshire
in 1934, aged 18. The team at that time was very weak. It failed to win a match for four years from May 1935, and ended at the bottom of the County Championship
table for each year from 1934 to 1938, seven years in nine, and second bottom the other two times. Brookes quickly became a regular in the county team, but his career was interrupted by the Second World War
, in which he served as a sergeant-instructor in the RAF
.
His batting really developed, though, after the war and for the next 10 years he was at, or near the top of, the national batting averages. He was unlucky to play in no more than one Test match, the first Test on the 1947-48 tour of the West Indies. His tour ended prematurely after he chipped a finger bone immediately after the first Test
.
Northampton's fortunes revived in 1949, when Freddie Brown became captain
of Northamptonshire, and the team finished the season fifth in the County Championship. As senior professional, Brookes frequently stood in for Brown as captain in the early 1950s. Brown retired in 1953
, and Brookes took over, the first professional captain of the county. The team included Frank Tyson
and Keith Andrew
, and Australians Jock Livingston
, Jack Manning
and George Tribe
, and enjoyed a successful period under his leadership, coming seventh in the County Championship
in 1954 and 1955, fourth in 1956, and achieving its highest-ever placing, second, in 1957
. Brookes was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1957, but he stood down as captain for 1958, replaced by Raman Subba Row
, an amateur. He retired from first-class cricket after the 1959 season, but captained the Players
against the Gentlemen
that year (his only appearance for the Players).
Brookes passed 1,000 runs in a season 17 times, and 2,000 runs six times. His highest score was 267, scored against Gloucestershire
in 1949. He made 71 first-class centuries, including one against each of the other 16 counties, and six double centuries. He held many Northamptonshire records, including the most appearances (492), most career runs (28,980), most centuries (67) and most runs in a season (2,198 in 1952).
He was later captain of the Northamptonshire second XI, a coach for Northamptonshire, and a local magistrate
. He was president of Northamptonshire from 1982 to 1985.
In 1947, in a match between Northamptonshire and Somerset
, Arthur Wellard
, was bowling rather well, when Brookes, who was batting, played a false stroke through the slips beating the eccentric Boss Meyer
(the founder of Millfield School
) as he was too crippled by lumbago to bend down to catch it. Meyer reached into his back pocket and said, "Sorry Arthur, here's a quid."
Brookes died in March 2006, in Northampton, at the age of 90.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
between 1934 and 1959 (and as captain between 1954 and 1957). He also played in one Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
for England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
against West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
in 1948. Brookes was President of Northamptonshire from 1982 to 1984. A cultured and prolific opening batsman, Brookes was the first professional skipper at Northamptonshire, and became both county president and a Justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
Life and career
Brookes was born in KippaxKippax, West Yorkshire
Kippax is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the east of the city, near to Garforth and Great Preston....
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
. He attended Kippax Council School, where he was captain of cricket and football. After being spotted playing club cricket
Club cricket
Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are always observed...
as a teenager, he joined Northamptonshire in 1934
1934 English cricket season
The 1934 English cricket season saw England lose the Ashes they had won via Bodyline in 1932-3, with Don Bradman again the crucial difference between two very strong teams.-Honours:*County Championship - Lancashire...
, making his debut against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in 1934, aged 18. The team at that time was very weak. It failed to win a match for four years from May 1935, and ended at the bottom of the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
table for each year from 1934 to 1938, seven years in nine, and second bottom the other two times. Brookes quickly became a regular in the county team, but his career was interrupted by the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in which he served as a sergeant-instructor in the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
His batting really developed, though, after the war and for the next 10 years he was at, or near the top of, the national batting averages. He was unlucky to play in no more than one Test match, the first Test on the 1947-48 tour of the West Indies. His tour ended prematurely after he chipped a finger bone immediately after the first Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
.
Northampton's fortunes revived in 1949, when Freddie Brown became captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
of Northamptonshire, and the team finished the season fifth in the County Championship. As senior professional, Brookes frequently stood in for Brown as captain in the early 1950s. Brown retired in 1953
1953 English cricket season
The 1953 English cricket season saw a tight Test series between England and Australia that was settled, after four drawn matches, in the final Test at The Oval, where England won to reclaim The Ashes for the first time since the Bodyline series of 1932/33....
, and Brookes took over, the first professional captain of the county. The team included Frank Tyson
Frank Tyson
Frank Holmes Tyson is an England cricketer of the 1950s who became a journalist and cricket commentator after he emigrated to Australia in 1960. Nicknamed "Typhoon Tyson" by the press he was regarded by many commentators as one of the fastest bowlers ever seen in cricket and took 76 wickets in...
and Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
Keith Vincent Andrew was an English cricketer who played in two Tests, in 1954-55 and in 1963.-Life and career:...
, and Australians Jock Livingston
Jock Livingston
Leonard "Jock" Livingston, born at Hurlstone Park, Sydney on 3 May 1920 and died there on 16 January 1998, was an Australian cricketer who played most of his first-class cricket in England.-Cricket career:...
, Jack Manning
Jack Manning
Jack Manning may refer to:*Jack Manning , 19th century baseball player*Jack Manning , American film, stage and television actor-Others:...
and George Tribe
George Tribe
George Edward Tribe was an Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests from 1946 to 1947, as well as an Australian rules footballer with the Footscray Football Club in the VFL....
, and enjoyed a successful period under his leadership, coming seventh in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
in 1954 and 1955, fourth in 1956, and achieving its highest-ever placing, second, in 1957
1957 English cricket season
The 1957 English cricket season saw a continuation of Surrey success and an easy win for England over West Indies. Of Surrey's run of Championship titles from 1952 to 1958, this was the most decisive. They won 21 matches out of 28 and lost none, finishing with 312 points to the runner-up's 218...
. Brookes was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1957, but he stood down as captain for 1958, replaced by Raman Subba Row
Raman Subba Row
Raman Subba Row is an English former cricketer who played for England, Cambridge University, Surrey and Northamptonshire.-Life and career:...
, an amateur. He retired from first-class cricket after the 1959 season, but captained the Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
against the Gentlemen
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
that year (his only appearance for the Players).
Brookes passed 1,000 runs in a season 17 times, and 2,000 runs six times. His highest score was 267, scored against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
in 1949. He made 71 first-class centuries, including one against each of the other 16 counties, and six double centuries. He held many Northamptonshire records, including the most appearances (492), most career runs (28,980), most centuries (67) and most runs in a season (2,198 in 1952).
He was later captain of the Northamptonshire second XI, a coach for Northamptonshire, and a local magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
. He was president of Northamptonshire from 1982 to 1985.
In 1947, in a match between Northamptonshire and Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
, Arthur Wellard
Arthur Wellard
Arthur William Wellard was a cricketer who played for Somerset and England. A late starter in county cricket, having been told by his native county, Kent, that he would be better off taking up a career as a policeman, Wellard played on into his late 40s...
, was bowling rather well, when Brookes, who was batting, played a false stroke through the slips beating the eccentric Boss Meyer
Jack Meyer (educator and cricketer)
Rollo John Oliver Meyer , known generally as 'Jack', and at Millfield mainly as 'Boss', was an English educationalist who founded Millfield School and Millfield Preparatory School in Somerset; he was also an all-round sportsman who played cricket at first-class level in both England and in India...
(the founder of Millfield School
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
) as he was too crippled by lumbago to bend down to catch it. Meyer reached into his back pocket and said, "Sorry Arthur, here's a quid."
Brookes died in March 2006, in Northampton, at the age of 90.