Ken Shuttleworth, Lancashire and England fast bowler, dies aged 80

Ken Shuttleworth, the former Lancashire and England fast bowler, has died at the age of 80.

Shuttleworth, who played five Tests in 1970 and 1971, made his debut in the first Test of that winter's Ashes-winning tour of Australia, claiming five second-innings wickets at Brisbane.

A tall, strongly built, right-arm quick, Shuttleworth came in off a long run, bowling with a side-on action and genuine pace. Born in St Helens, he joined Lancashire in 1964, and provided a cutting edge to support the metronomic methods of Lancashire's attack leader, Brian Statham.

"I was bowling as quick as what you see the fast bowlers bowl now," Shuttleworth told The St Helens Star in 2021. "Brian and Ken Higgs were still the two main bowlers with Peter Lever and myself taking turns as the third seamer."

Having dismissed Geoff Boycott for his maiden first-class wicket at Old Trafford, Shuttleworth went on to claim 484 wickets at 22.92 for Lancashire, followed by a further 99 for Leicestershire in the latter seasons of his career.

His best figures came in 1968, when he claimed 7 for 41 against Essex at Leyton, en route to a season's haul of 73 first-class wickets (65 of which came for his county). Two years later, he bettered that with 74 wickets at just over 21.

But for a glut of injuries, Shuttleworth would likely have added significantly to his international appearances. He toured Pakistan with the Commonwealth Team in 1967-68 under the captaincy of Richie Benaud, then played for England versus Rest of the World at Lord's in June 1970.

On that winter's Ashes tour, under the captaincy of Ray Illingworth, he featured in the first two drawn Tests, then - in his solitary ODI appearance - he claimed England's first wicket in the format, in the maiden fixture at the MCG in January 1971.

"I just took it as another game," Shuttleworth said of his Test debut. "We got stick, which you expect when you're out there, but we were the first team since Douglas Jardine's in 1932 to win the Ashes in Australia."

As the one-day game took off in the 1970s, Shuttleworth's short, sharp spells were a key source of Lancashire's success, which included a hat-trick of Gillette Cup wins in 1970, '71 and '72 and two Sunday League titles in 1969 and 1970. His best figures of 5 for 13, including the wicket of Garry Sobers, came at Trent Bridge in 1972.

After his move to Leicestershire in 1975, Shuttleworth concluded his career in league cricket in Staffordshire, and after a few years in business, returned to the game as a first-class umpire. In 2021, he was inducted into Lancashire's Hall of Fame. He is survived by his wife Barbara and daughters Sara and Hannah.