Bob Broadbent

Robert Gillespie Broadbent, known as Bob Broadbent (21 June 1924 – 26 April 1993) was a cricketer who played first-class cricket 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.

Broadbent 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 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 in any English season.^[4] It was in the course of this summer that 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]

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.^[6] He also played in the final, which Worcestershire lost narrowly, but failed in making only 13.^[7]

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.^[8]

Outside cricket, Broadbent was an accomplished hockey player, good enough to represent Worcestershire.^[1]

Notes

References

• Player profile: Bob Broadbent from CricketArchive
• Player profile: Bob Broadbent from ESPNcricinfo