Francis Booker

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024|cs1-dates=ly formats}}

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

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Francis Booker

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1746|10|08}}

| birth_place = Eynsford, Kent

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1806|11|13|1746|10|08}}

| death_place = Eynsford, Kent

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling =

| club1 = Kent

| year1 = {{nowrap|1773–1788}}

| type1 = FC

| debutdate1 = 21 June

| debutyear1 = 1773

| debutfor1 = Kent

| debutagainst1 = Surrey

| lastdate1 = 7 September

| lastyear1 = 1790

| lastfor1 = West Kent

| lastagainst1 = East Kent

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/francis-booker-532819 CricInfo

| date = 27 June

| year = 2022

}}

Francis Booker (8 October 1746 – 13 November 1806) was an English first-class cricketer who played at the end of the 18th century.

Booker was born at Eynsford near Sevenoaks in Kent in 1746.[https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/francis-booker-532819 Francis Booker], CricInfo. Retrieved 2022-06-27. He lived his whole life in the village and kept the Soho Inn.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} A left-handed batsman, Booker played in a total of 45 first-class matches between 1773 and 1790. He played 23 of these for Kent sides as well as two for West Kent and two for sides organised by Kent patron the Duke of Dorset. Another 12 were played for England sides.{{efn|During the time Booker played, England sides were not representative of the country. Instead, they were sides composed of players from a range of locations brought together to play against another side.Birley D (1999) A Social History of English Cricket, p. 364. London: Aurum Press. {{isbn|978 1 78131 1769}}}}[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/79/79316/79316.html Francis Booker], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2022-03-20. {{subscription required}}

He was briefly mentioned in John Nyren's book, The Cricketers of My Time, described as one of three players Nyren considered to be "excellent and steady batters, strong hitters, and sure fields".Nyren J The Cricketers of My Time in Lucas EV ed (1907) The Hambledon Men, p. 60. London: Henry Frowde. ([https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Hambledon_Men Available online] at Wikisource. Retrieved 2022-03-20.) He was noted as a fine hitter of the ball and as a very good outfielder. He was rated a good single wicket player.Haygarth A (1862) Scores & Biographies, vol. 1 (1744–1826), p. 7. Lillywhite He scored 835 first-class runs and took at least seven wickets.{{efn|name=wickets|In the period in which Booker played, wickets taken by bowlers were normally only recorded if they were bowled. Other means of dismissal were not credited to any bowler.Carlaw D (2020) Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part One: 1806–1914 (revised edition), p. 31. ([https://archive.acscricket.com/books/Kent_Cricketers_A_to_Z_Part_One_Revised_Expanded.pdf Available online] at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 2020-12-21.) As a result the number of wickets he took is uncertain, with the total of seven being a minimum. This also makes the calculation of an accurate bowling average impossible.}}

Booker died in 1806 at Eynsford. He was 60 years of age.