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A spate of injuries which saw England go into their first match against
the Rest of the World in 1970 with only one of their first six batsmen
gave Kent's Brian Luckhurst the chance of a Test career. There were
three opening batsmen with only one Test between them: Luckhurst, Mike
Denness and Glamorgan's Alan Jones. It was the unfancied Luckhurst who
grabbed his chance, scoring 67 in the second innings and keeping his
place as the likes of Boycott and Cowdrey returned. He followed up with
113 not out as England won the second match at Trent Bridge and 92 at
Headingley. He was clearly going to be part of Illingworth's Ashes
campaign in 1970-71, even though the successful Boycott-Edrich opening
partnership had to be split to accommodate him. He scored 74 in the
first Test at Brisbane, 131 with a damaged thumb in Perth and 109 with a
broken little finger at the MCG.
He made 108 against Pakistan in 1971
and 78 and 101 against India at Old Trafford. The re-emergence of really
fast bowling on the Test scene was his undoing, first against Dennis
Lillee in 1972, though Luckhurst showed his guts with 93 in a nine-and-a
half hour England rearguard at Nottingham. He was recalled to the
England colours during Mike Dennesses Ashes tour of 1974-75, but after
becoming the first of Jeff Thomson's series winning haul of wickets he
dropped out of the England side. Twice in his international career he
made 0 in each innings, bowled by Mike Procter each time in 1970 and at
Headingley against Pakistan in 1971. (Bob Harragan)
Unable to cope with the pace bowlers of the West Indies and Australia in the mid 1970s, Luckhust retired in 1976, but kept working at Canterbury as coach, then manager, then on youth development and finally as Club President.
He was married twice, to Elaine and Raye, had two sons with Elaine and a stepson. His autobiography was called Boot Boy to President.
Brian Luckhurst died in March 2005, in Kent, from oesophageal cancer, at the age of 66.
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