Francis Booker facts for kids

Francis Booker (born October 8, 1746 – died November 13, 1806) was an English cricketer. He played a special kind of high-level cricket called first-class cricket in the late 1700s.

Who Was Francis Booker?

Francis Booker was born in 1746 in a village called Eynsford in Kent, England. He lived his entire life in Eynsford. He even owned and ran a local business, the Soho Inn.

Cricket Career

Booker was a left-handed batsman. This means he hit the ball with his left hand. He played in 45 important first-class cricket matches. His career lasted from 1773 to 1790.

Teams He Played For

He played most of his games, 23 of them, for teams from his home county, Kent. He also played two matches for the West Kent team. Sometimes, he played for teams put together by a rich supporter of cricket, the Duke of Dorset. Booker also represented England in 12 matches.

His Playing Style

Francis Booker was known for being a very good player. A famous cricket writer, John Nyren, mentioned him in his book, The Cricketers of My Time. Nyren said Booker was an "excellent and steady batter." He was also known for hitting the ball very hard.

Booker was also a great outfielder. This means he was good at catching and stopping the ball in the field. He was also considered a strong player in single wicket cricket. This is a type of game where only one batsman faces one bowler at a time.

His Stats

During his career, Booker scored a total of 835 runs in first-class matches. He also took at least seven wickets, which means he got at least seven batsmen out.

Later Life

Francis Booker passed away in 1806 in Eynsford, the same village where he was born. He was 60 years old.