Brian Luckhurst

Obituary
Brian Luckhurst shrewdly worked out what he could and could not do, and would have had an even better Test average if the selectors had assessed his ability as thoroughly. He was robbed of one tour he should have made - to India and Pakistan in 1972-73 - where his quick-footedness against spin and reliable close catching would have been invaluable, and chosen for one (Australia 1974-75) for which, aged 35, he was ill-suited. He was overwhelmed by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, and was never picked again. A well-built, square-shouldered figure always immaculately turned out, his most productive stroke was the square-cut, which he hit with crippling force, while his prime asset was unblinking concentration. He died in March 2005, aged 66, after suffering from cancer of the oesophagus.
John Thicknesse