Brian Close
A cricketer of granite-like courage who became England's youngest ever Test player and a famously tough, old-school captain.
1931–2015 (age 84)·English cricketer·Birthday: February 24·The Silent Generation
Biography
Brian Close's career was defined by a ferocious, almost masochistic bravery. Thrust into Test cricket at just 18, his early promise as a batting all-rounder was intermittently fulfilled over a 26-year first-class career, but his legend rests on his leadership and sheer physical grit. As captain of Yorkshire, he drove the team to four County Championships with a demanding, no-excuses style. His most iconic moment came in 1976, at 45, when as England captain he stood firm against the West Indies' fearsome fast bowlers, repeatedly being hit by deliveries but refusing to flinch or retreat. Later, at Somerset, his tough love and tactical acumen were instrumental in mentoring a young Ian Botham and Viv Richards, helping forge them into world-beaters. Close embodied a pre-modern, defiant spirit in cricket, a man for whom the contest was everything.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Brian was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2015Died at 84
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Became England's youngest ever Test cricketer when selected at 18 years and 149 days old in 1949.
- Captained Yorkshire to four County Championship titles in the 1960s.
- Led England in seven Test matches, winning six and drawing one.
- Played first-class cricket for an extraordinary 26 seasons, from 1949 to 1977.
Did You Know?
He was hit 11 times by bouncers while making 20 runs in a famous, gritty innings against the West Indies in 1976.
Close was also a talented footballer, playing as a wing-half for Leeds United and Arsenal's reserve teams.
He served as a British Army physical training instructor during his National Service.
His final first-class match was for Somerset in 1977, at the age of 46.
“You don't flinch. You let the ball hit you, then you pick it up and throw it.”
