Austin Baxter died in the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham on 17 January 1993, aged 61. A leading figure in the textile trade he was Managing Director of The Basford Group.
Educated at Ratcliffe College, Baxter who was born on 21 September 1931 in West Bridgford made a name for himself as a stylish right hand batsman while still a schoolboy. When he was at Nottingham University he was given a trial with the Notts First Eleven and in all made 13 First-Class appearances, scoring 314 runs @14.95. Making his debut v Derbyshire at Ilkeston in July 1952, his highest score was 98 against Essex at Southend in August 1953, when he and John Clay saved Notts from collapse. The final total was only 233, of which Clay made 66; Notts went on to a win a very tight game by 37 runs. At the end of 1953, Baxter, as an amateur, decided that he could not afford the time for county cricket thus a promising career finished when it had just begun.
Apart from cricket – his local club was Forest Amateurs – he was also a talented hockey player and captained the county side for three seasons as well as having a trial for England. In later life he was the Chairman of the Notts Old Players Association.
His uncle Henry Radford played three First-Class matches for Derbyshire in 1920.
April 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 397