The former Lancashire and England fast bowler Ken Shuttleworth has died at the age of 80.
Shuttleworth made his test debut in the winter’s Ashes-winning tour of Australia in 1970, claiming five second-inning wickets at Brisbane. Shuttleworth has come in off a long run, bowling with a side in St Helens.
He joined Lancashire in 1964 and provided a cutting edge to support the metronomic methods of Lancashire’s attack leader, Brian Statham.
“I was bowling as quick as what you see the fast bowlers bowl now,” told Shuttleworth. “Brian and Ken Higgs were still the two main bowlers with Peter Lever and myself taking turns as the third seamer.”
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Having dismissed Geoff Boycott for his maiden first-class wicket at Old Trafford, Shuttleworth went on to claim 484 wickets at 22.92 for Lancashire, followed by a further 99 for Leicestershire in the latter seasons for his career.
His best figures comes in the games against 7 for 41 against Essex at Leyton, en route to a season’s haul of 73 first-class wickets. Two years later, he bettered that with 74 wickets at just over 21.
Shuttleworth would likely have added significantly to his international appearances. He toured Pakistan with the Commonwealth Team in 1967-68 under the captaincy of Richie Benaud, then played for England versus Rest of the World at Lord’s in June 1970.
“I just took it as another game,” Shuttleworth said of his Test debut. “We got stick, which you expect when you’re out there, but we were the first team since Douglas Jardine’s in 1932 to win the Ashes in Australia.”
As the one-day game took off in the 1970s Shuttleworth’s shortwere key source of Lancashire’s success which included a hat-trick of Gillette Cup wins in 1970, 71 and 72 and two Sunday League titles in 1969 and 1970. His best figures of 5 for 13 including the wicket of Gary Sobers, came at Trent Bridge in 1972.
After his move to Leicestershire in 1975, Shuttleworth concluded his career in league cricket in league cricket in staffordshire, and after a few years in business, returned to the game as a first-class umpire.
In 2021, he was inducted into Lancashire‘s Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife Barbara and daughters Sara and Hannah.
