A colourful and explosive Irishman, Tim O'Brien learned his cricket in England and his feats at Kensington Park earned him a trial with Middlesex. He achieved little and in a bid to further his career he made no secret of the fact he went to Oxford with the sole intention of winning a Blue - he did so, but it was a mixed achievement as he made a pair in his first University match. He was a true amateur batsman, believing that bowlers were there to be attacked, and he did so with spectacular success. In 1884, he blasted 92 as Oxford recorded an historic win over the Australians, and later that summer he made the first of his five Test appearances (the last came almost 12 years later). He toured Australia with GF Vernon in 1887-88 and South Africa with Lord Hawke in 1995-96, but at the highest level O'Brien was found wanting. For Middlesex, he was one of several high-profile amateurs, and he found the surroundings to his liking. Perhaps his finest hour came in 1889 when he cracked 92 and 100 not out - the last 83 in 35 minutes - in a remarkable win over Yorkshire. In his final first-class outing, aged 52, he smashed 90 and 111 against Oxford. O'Brien fathered 10 children and when he died, aged 87, he was the oldest England cricketer to have played in a home Test against Australia.
Martin Williamson