Josh Tongue’s recent return to the King’s School – for an Open Morning at the Hawford Junior School – brought back memories of the other pupil to have played first class cricket for Worcestershire from the 1950s to the mid 1970s.
Another County paceman in Worcester-born Brian Brain also attended the King’s School and ended his career with 824 first class wickets at an average of 24.50 and 290 List A at 20.14.
He appeared in the first three County Championship winning sides at New Road in 1964, 1965 and 1974.
Brain, who is now 77, picked up 84 first class wickets in that latter triumph to equal his best tally for a season which had been achieved the year before.
He made his Worcestershire debut as a 17-year-old in 1959 but had to FIVE more years before he had another taste of first team cricket in the first Championship year.
Brain finished with 31 wickets at 24.11 in 1964 and another 44 in 1965 but had to wait until the end of the decade to become a first team regular and in 1969 he enjoyed a haul of 73 wickets.
He left Worcestershire at the end of the 1975 season and enjoyed an Indian summer in his late 30s at Gloucestershire before retiring in 1981.
Brain donated medals from his long playing career to the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s 50th Anniversary Legacy Appeal as a thank you for the help he received from the PCA Benevolent Fund.
He got in touch with the PCA after he suffered a hernia and was told that he faced a lengthy wait for an operation through the National Health Service.
Thanks to the PCA Benevolent Fund Brain was able to see a consultant within two weeks and underwent surgery 10 days later and made a full recovery.
