Allan Heath

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Allan Heath

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Allan Borman Heath

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1865|1|19|df=yes}}

| birth_place = East Woodhay, Hampshire, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1913|6|21|1865|1|19|df=yes}}

| death_place = Cullompton, Devon, England

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm fast-medium

| family =

| club1 = Hampshire

| year1 = {{nowrap|1883–1885}}

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 7

| runs1 = 132

| bat avg1 = 9.42

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 42

| deliveries1 = 45

| wickets1 = 2

| bowl avg1 = 14.00

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = 2/28

| catches/stumpings1 = 2/–

| date = 12 January

| year = 2010

| source = http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/14137.html Cricinfo

}}

Allan Borman Heath (1 January 1865 — 21 June 1913) was an English first-class cricketer.

The son of Allan Borman Heath senior, he was born at Faccombe Manor near Andover, Hampshire on New Year's Day in 1865. He was educated at Cheltenham College, where he played both cricket and football for the college.{{cite book |title=Cheltenham College register, 1841-1910|last=Hunter|first=Andrew Alexander|publisher=Bell|location=London|year=1911|page=438|url=https://archive.org/details/b28982836|language=en}} Whilst still studying at Cheltenham, Heath made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Somerset at Taunton in 1883. He made a further six first-class appearances for Hampshire to 1885,{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6655/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Allan Heath|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=21 March 2023|url-access=subscription}} with his first-class career coming to an end when Hampshire lost first-class status at the end of the 1885 season. In his seven first-class appearances for Hampshire, he scored 132 runs at an average of 9.42, with a highest score of 42.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6655/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Allan Heath|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=21 March 2023|url-access=subscription}} He also took two wickets with his right-arm fast-medium bowling.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6655/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Allan Heath|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=21 March 2023|url-access=subscription}} Following the loss of Hampshire's first-class status, Heath continued to play for the county in second-class county cricket until 1892.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6655/Miscellaneous_Matches.html|title=Miscellaneous Matches played by Allan Heath|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=21 March 2023|url-access=subscription}}

In his later years, Heath struggled with mental health. He died a suicide on 21 June 1913 by jumping in front of a train pulling into Cullompton railway station in Devon, having suffered a mental breakdown.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000265/19130624/044/0005 |title=Painful case |work=Western Times |location=Exeter |page=5 |date=4 June 1913 |access-date=21 March 2023 |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}