Sussex allrounder Francis Pountain dies

Francis Pountain, who played as an allrounder for Sussex in the early 1960s, has died at the age of 64.

A middle or lower-order batsman and a right-arm seamer, Pountain made his Championship debut in April 1960, a week after his 19th birthday, batting at No. 10 and not bowling. He appeared twice more that summer without making a mark.

In 1961, however, he was an ever present in the side, scoring 384 runs at 13.71 and taking 35 wickets at 39.08. After failing to secure a place in 1962 and 1963, he was again a regular in the next two seasons, being played increasingly as a middle-order batsman rather than an allrounder. He appeared in five Gillette Cup matches in the competition's first two summers, but despite being in the side in both semi-finals, he was not included in the XI which went on to win the finals.

Despite being given plenty of opportunities, he never broke through as hoped and he was released at the end of 1965.