Bob Broadbent

Who was Bob Broadbent?

Robert Gillespie Broadbent, known as Bob Broadbent 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. By 1949 he was appearing for Middlesex's Second XI; he scored 82 for them against Glamorgan II in July of that year. 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. 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. 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.