Henry Horton (sportsman)
Encyclopedia
Henry Horton was an English
sportsman who played cricket for Hampshire
in the 1950s and 1960s, having previously played a handful of times for Worcestershire
in the 1940s. He also played football
for Blackburn
, Southampton
, Bradford Park Avenue
and Hereford
.
A right-handed batsman with a curious and ungainly crouching stance, Horton came late to full-time cricket, having spent most of his 20s concentrating on his football career. He joined Hampshire in 1953, but did not achieve a regular place in the side until 1955, the season when the West Indian
Test batsman Roy Marshall
qualified for the county. For the next dozen years, Horton batted mostly at No 3, usually following the opening partnership of Marshall and the all-rounder Jimmy Gray
, and the three players were responsible for a high proportion of the runs scored by a side that was perennially weak in batting but strong in bowling.
Horton was essentially a defensive player, contrasting with the flamboyance of Marshall. But he made a lot of runs at a good average, and passed 1,000 runs in 12 consecutive seasons, going on to 2,000 in three of them. His total of 2,428 runs in 1959 is the sixth highest aggregate in Hampshire history, beaten only by Phil Mead
(four times) and once by Marshall. He was a big contributor to Hampshire's two most successful County Championship
seasons to that time: 1958, when the county came second to Surrey
, and 1961, when it won the Championship for the first time.
Horton remained fit into his mid-40s, and completed 1,000 for the last time in 1966. The following year, with younger players coming into the side, he played a few games and then retired. He became a first-class umpire
for a few seasons, then retired back to Herefordshire.
He was the younger brother of Joseph Horton
, who played more than 60 times for Worcestershire in the 1930s and who died just four days after him.
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...
sportsman who played cricket for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
in the 1950s and 1960s, having previously played a handful of times for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
in the 1940s. He also played football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
for Blackburn
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
and Hereford
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
.
A right-handed batsman with a curious and ungainly crouching stance, Horton came late to full-time cricket, having spent most of his 20s concentrating on his football career. He joined Hampshire in 1953, but did not achieve a regular place in the side until 1955, the season when the West Indian
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,...
Test batsman Roy Marshall
Roy Marshall
Roy Edwin Marshall was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests from 1951 to 1952. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1959.-Early career:...
qualified for the county. For the next dozen years, Horton batted mostly at No 3, usually following the opening partnership of Marshall and the all-rounder Jimmy Gray
Jimmy Gray (cricketer)
James 'Jimmy' Roy Gray is a former English first-class cricketer who played for Hampshire.Gray was a right-handed batsman and passed 2000 runs in a season on 3 occasions...
, and the three players were responsible for a high proportion of the runs scored by a side that was perennially weak in batting but strong in bowling.
Horton was essentially a defensive player, contrasting with the flamboyance of Marshall. But he made a lot of runs at a good average, and passed 1,000 runs in 12 consecutive seasons, going on to 2,000 in three of them. His total of 2,428 runs in 1959 is the sixth highest aggregate in Hampshire history, beaten only by Phil Mead
Phil Mead
Charles Phillip Mead was a left-handed batsman for Hampshire and England between 1905 and 1936. He was born at 10 Ashton Buildings , second eldest of seven children...
(four times) and once by Marshall. He was a big contributor to Hampshire's two most successful County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
seasons to that time: 1958, when the county came second to Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
, and 1961, when it won the Championship for the first time.
Horton remained fit into his mid-40s, and completed 1,000 for the last time in 1966. The following year, with younger players coming into the side, he played a few games and then retired. He became a first-class umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
for a few seasons, then retired back to Herefordshire.
He was the younger brother of Joseph Horton
Joseph Horton
Joseph Horton , known as Joe was an English cricketer who played 62 first-class matches for Worcestershire in the 1930s....
, who played more than 60 times for Worcestershire in the 1930s and who died just four days after him.