Yorkshire, England mourn loss of Brian Close

England’s youngest-ever Test cricketer and former national captain Brian Close has died, aged 84.

Close, who lost his life after a short illness, was revered as one of the bravest batsmen to play the game, having fearlessly faced the West Indies pace battery as a 45-year-old in the famous 1976 series after almost a decade away from the England side.

With almost 35,000 runs and 1,171 first-class wickets, Close was a Yorkshire legend, and the club paid respect to him with a statement on Monday morning shortly after death.

 “It is with the deepest regret that Yorkshire County Cricket Club announce the death of Brian Close, CBE, one of Yorkshire and England’s greatest ever captains and one of the game’s most courageous players,” the statement read.

“In addition to his outstanding cricket career, Brian remained fully committed to Yorkshire until the end, being a life member of the club and president from 2008-10.

“He was also a popular former president of the Yorkshire CCC Players’ Association. He leaves a widow, Vivien, and a son and a daughter.”

A Test debutant as an 18-year-old in 1949, Close went on to play 22 times for England.

In a career spanning a remarkable 27 years, he averaged 25.34 with the bat and 29.55 with a combination of right-arm off-spin and medium pace.

He captain England in seven of those Tests, winning six and drawing once to remain unbeaten.

Renowned for his toughness both at the crease and when fielding close to the bat, Close refused to show the opposition any pain, and even charged the likes of Michael Holding and Andy Roberts in their pomp.

His preparedness to wear the ball on the body staggered opponents and teammates alike, and his unflinching approach won him admirers throughout the cricket world.  

A gifted all-round sportsman, Close also played professional football in his younger years, for Leeds, Bradford and Arsenal, and even appeared as an England Under-18 representative against Scotland.

Cricket took precedence however, and Close went on to captain Yorkshire to four Championships, scoring 22,650 runs and taking 967 wickets at the club before moving to Somerset for the latter part of his career, which carried on until 1986.

He returned to Yorkshire and held various posts over the following decades, including chairman of the cricket committee and president of the club, before being honoured with a life membership.