FORMER Notts County Cricket Club captain Reg Simpson has died, aged 93.
Mr Simpson was the oldest-surviving Notts and England cricketer.
Club chairman Peter Wright said: "Reg was a superb opening batsman who excelled against the fastest of bowlers.
"He was an excellent talent and would undoubtedly have achieved even more in the game if his career had not been put on hold for the outbreak of war in 1939."
Mr Simpson was born in Sherwood Rise in 1920 and went to Nottingham High School. In his early years, he was largely a self-taught cricketer, as Wisden Cricketers' Almanack noted when naming him Cricketer of the Year in 1950.
According to his Wisden profile: "He never received any coaching, none of his relatives played cricket, but when quite a youngster he was introduced to the game at Mountford House Preparatory School, Nottingham, and at once became very keen to do well."
His Notts debut came in 1940 against the RAF, who he would go on to serve with during the Second World War.
After going to America to complete flying training in Arizona, he flew extensively in Asia.
When he wasn't in the air, he played cricket across the sub-continent for the RAF. One stretch of 529 runs in nine innings earned a mention in the 1945 edition of Wisden.
After the war, he went on to play in 27 Test matches for England, scoring 1,401 runs with an unbeaten 156 in Melbourne against Australia his highest score.
He played 495 first-class games for Notts, making 30,546 runs at an average of 38.32. When giving him his 1950 accolade, Wisden praised his technique: "When at his best Simpson is the type of batsman everyone admires. He possesses a neat, upright stance and delights in hitting the ball in front of the wicket."
He captained the team 249 times between 1951 and 1961.
English Cricket Board chief executive David Collier said: "Reg Simpson was an elegant opening batsman who served his country with distinction both as a pilot in the Second World War and as a fearless player of fast bowling.
"He held a deep passion for the game and for his beloved Trent Bridge.
"On behalf of everyone at ECB we extend our deepest sympathy to Reg's family."
Former cricket writer AJ Turner once wrote about Mr Simpson, saying: "For him all cricket hours are happy hours, even the weary ones of the endless chase on a baked surface when other batsmen are rampant and ruthless."
Mr Simpson became a member of Notts' committee in 1961, serving on it until 1998, and went on to become a director at bat-maker Gunn and Moore.
In his later years, he was still a regular visitor to Trent Bridge, most recently during England's 14-run win over Australia in the Ashes Test series in July.
He had been in ill-health for several years and spent time in a nursing home before going to live with one of his daughters.
Notts announced his death yesterday.
