1962: Brian Higgins’ Debut

By Anne Cochrane

This image, newly added to the Burnley Civic Trust Heritage Image website, www.bcthic.org, from the Burnley Express of 30th June, 1962, shows the Lawrie Shield winning Rosegrove Secondary School Cricket team, which includes Brian Higgin (back row 2nd from the right).

A week later on 7th July 1962, the 15 year old made his senior Lancashire League debut for Lowerhouse CC, away against Enfield, called up as an emergency Burnley Fair holiday replacement for the regular stumper.  He made a tremendous start, catching the Enfield professional, West Indian star Conrad Hunte, for just 18 in a game which ended in a draw, and also featured a century by Lowerhouse’s excellent amateur “Maxie” Mahmood.

(Full scorecard at http://lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/111/111966.html)

Brian also featured in Express Sports-writer Don Smith’s next round up. Don reported that Brian had “given an excellent account of himself behind the stumps” and said he should remember his debut with pride.  Although this was Brian’s only senior game that season, and it was a couple of seasons before he became an established first team player, still only a teenager, this marked the start of his long and illustrious Lowerhouse Lancashire League career, both as stumper and batter.  Don Smith’s column also included another Lowerhouse wicket-keeping anecdote, see below for full article.

Brian appeared on our podcast last year and talks about a lot of tales of the past. You can listen to them on the links below:

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