Jim Hilton

Who was Jim Hilton?

Jim Hilton was a cricketer who played for Lancashire and Somerset. He was born in Werneth, Oldham, Lancashire, and died at Oldham. His name was Jim, not James.

The younger brother of England and Lancashire bowler Malcolm Hilton, Jim Hilton was a lower-order right-handed batsman and a right-arm off-break bowler. Unable to break into regular Lancashire first team cricket because of the competition for slow bowling places from his brother and Roy Tattersall, Hilton moved south and played two full seasons for Somerset in 1954 and 1955. Even in a side as poor as Somerset's – the county finished bottom of the County Championship for four consecutive seasons from 1952 to 1955 – Hilton's bowling opportunities were limited by the presence of Johnny Lawrence and John McMahon, and he did not take more than 42 wickets in a season.

In 1956, fellow off-spinner Brian Langford returned from National Service and became first-choice, and though Hilton played fairly regularly again in 1957, he left the county's staff at the end of the season.

He reappeared for Lancashire in Second Eleven matches for several further years, but did not play first-class cricket again.