{{short description|English cricketer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}} {{Use British English|date=March 2016}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = | image = | country = England | fullname = | nickname = | birth_date = 11 May 1842 | birth_place = Friskney, Lincolnshire, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|1926|7|14|1842|5|11|df=yes}} | death_place = Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England | heightft = 5 | heightinch = 11<ref name="S&BIO">{{cite book|title=Frederick Lillywhite's Cricket scores and Biographies|publisher=Longman|location=London|first=Frederick|last=Lillywhite|year=1876|page=404|volume=6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dl8IAAAAQAAJ|language=en}}</ref> | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Unknown | club1 = Cambridge University | year1 = 1862–1865 | club2 = Marylebone Cricket Club | year2 = 1871–1886 | club3 = Hampshire | year3 = 1875–1880 | columns = 1 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 75 | runs1 = 1,922 | bat avg1 = 15.37 | 100s/50s1 = –/4 | top score1 = 78 | deliveries1 = 440 | wickets1 = 5 | bowl avg1 = 37.20 | fivefor1 = – | tenfor1 = – | best bowling1 = 1/4 | catches/stumpings1 = 34/– | date = 25 August | year = 2009 | source = http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/9151.html Cricinfo }}
'''Clement Booth''' (11 May 1842 – 14 July 1926) was an English first-class cricketer and administrator. Booth played first-class cricket for several teams, but was largely associated with Cambridge University, Hampshire and the Marylebone Cricket Club. He was Hampshire County Cricket Club's second captain at first-class level. As an administrator, he was the honorary secretary of both Lincolnshire and Hampshire.
==Early life and cricket career== The son of The Reverend Thomas Willingham Booth, he was born in May 1842 at Friskney, Lincolnshire. Booth was educated at Rugby School,<ref>{{cite book |title=Rugby School Register: From to 1675–1867 Inclusive |date=1867 |volume=1 |publisher=A. J. Lawrence |location=Rugby |page=150 |url=https://archive.org/details/b21779417 |language=en}}</ref> where he was coached in cricket by Alfred Diver and Daniel Hayward.<ref name="OBIT">{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228170.html|title=Wisden - Obituaries in 1926|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|accessdate=21 December 2022}}</ref> From there, he matriculated to Trinity College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, Booth excelled at sport, gaining blues in both cricket and athletics.<ref name="BOOK">{{cite book|last=Venn|first=John|title=Alumni Cantabrigienses|year=1944|volume=1|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=321|url=https://archive.org/details/p2alumnicantabri01univuoft|language=en}}</ref> As a member of Cambridge University Cricket Club, he made his debut in first-class cricket for the University against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Fenner's in 1862. He played first-class cricket for the University until 1865, making ten appearances, which included four in The University Match.<ref name="FCM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6494/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Clement Booth|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=21 December 2022|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Booth played minor matches for an early Lincolnshire county organisation, acting as its honorary secretary from 1867 until the end 1871, when he resigned.<ref name="OBIT"/> In the same year as his resignation from Lincolnshire, played first-class cricket for the MCC. His first appearance for the MCC came against Cambridge University at Lord's in 1871, with him making 40 appearances for the MCC from 1871 to 1886.<ref name="FCM"/> Booth scored 1,013 runs for the MCC at an average of 15.58; he made one half century, a score of 78.<ref name="FCB">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6494/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Clement Booth|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=21 December 2022|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
==Hampshire cricket and later life== In 1872, Booth had moved to Hampshire where he was a farmer at New House Farm in Kilmeston.<ref name="S&BIO"/> Upon moving south, he played minor matches for Hampshire County Cricket Club from 1873, later captaining the club against Kent,<ref name="FCM"/> which was their first appearance in first-class cricket since 1870; Booth was the club's second captain, after the late George Ede. He played first-class cricket for Hampshire until 1880, making 20 appearances.<ref name="FCM"/> In these, he scored 620 runs at an average of 17.71; he made three half centuries, recording a highest score of 78.<ref name="FCB"/> Booth was captain until 1878, being replaced by Arthur Wood in 1879. In addition to playing cricket for Hampshire, he also served as the club's honorary secretary from 1874 to 1879,<ref name="OBIT"/> being succeeded by Russell Bencraft. Upon his appointment to the position, Booth endeavoured to improve the fortunes of Hampshire cricket, although he was unsuccessful in improving the Hampshire's fortunes.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Jubilee Book of Cricket|first=K. S.|last=Ranjitsinhji|date=2020|orig-date=1897|publisher=Good Press|pages=391|url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Jubilee_Book_of_Cricket/Chapter_10|language=en}}</ref> Besides his lengthy associations with Cambridge University, the MCC and Hampshire, Booth also played first-class cricket on three occasions for the South in the North v South match, as well as making a single appearance each for the Gentlemen of England and an Oxford and Cambridge Universities Past and Present team.<ref name="FCM"/> ''Wisden'' described Booth's as a "sound free batsman, with strong back play and a fine cut, and an excellent field at long-leg and cover".<ref name="OBIT"/>
By March 1881, his farm had encountered financial difficulties, with Booth being declared bankrupt.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=24949|date=11 March 1881|page=1188|supp=y}}</ref> Following his bankruptcy, he returned to farming in Lincolnshire at Hundleby Grange near Spilsby.<ref name="BOOK"/> He played club cricket for Spilsby in the 1880s and was associated with Skegness Cricket Club into the 1890s and the turn of the century, helping to organise matches for the club against the MCC and acting as the club's president.<ref>Cricket notes. ''Lincolnshire Chronicle''. 13 June 1884. p. 7</ref><ref>Cricket. ''Boston Guardian''. 18 May 1895. p. 8</ref><ref>District news. ''Lincolnshire Chronicle''. 9 February 1900. p. 7</ref> In March 1917, Booth and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, having married at Elkstone near Cheltenham in March 1867.<ref>Mr. and Mrs. Clement Booth. ''Boston Guardian''. 24 March 1917. p. 10</ref> Booth died at Spilsby in July 1926.<ref>Famous cricketer death. ''Louth Standard''. 10 July 1926. p. 15</ref><ref name="OBIT"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{cricinfo|id=9151}}
{{S-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box| |before= George Ede |title=Hampshire cricket captain |years=1875–1878 |after=Arthur Wood }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, Clement}} Category:1842 births Category:1926 deaths Category:People from Spilsby Category:People educated at Rugby School Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Category:English cricketers Category:Cambridge University cricketers Category:English cricket administrators Category:19th-century English farmers Category:Hampshire cricketers Category:Hampshire cricket captains Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Category:North v South cricketers Category:Gentlemen of England cricketers Category:Oxford and Cambridge Universities Past and Present cricketers Category:20th-century English farmers Category:Cricketers from Lincolnshire