South Yorkshire Times, September 1st 1951
Death Of Alban Turner Ex-Yorkshire Batsman
Mr. Alban Turner, former Hickleton and ex-Yorkshire Batsman, who retired from the game in 1945 after a distinguished playing career of 45 years, died on Wednesday at the age of 66.
From the age of 15, when he played his first game for Hickleton’s second team, through the years which brought County honours to the end, Alban Turner was always a serious student of cricket and no less an enthusiast. It was this enthusiasm and study, allied with an inherent ability that spelled the secret of his success. His first century was scored again Mexborough when he was 18. At 20 he was chosen Hickleton’s captain – in a team in which there were three fathers and three sons. That same season he played with the Yorkshire Colts and in his second match, against Staffordshire, scored 33. That year, too, as a member of the Denaby and District XIV which played Mr. G. S. Marples’ XII he made the highest score of the local men – 41 – against the bowling of Warren, then played for England and in the company of such regular Derbyshire men as L. G. Wright, E. M. Ashcroft, G. A. Ollimirre, E. C. Hunter, Cudman, Moreton and Humphries, W. P. Turner captained the Denaby men who included Fred Turner, Irving Washington, Albert Jagger and F. Barker, the old Denaby professional.
In 1908 he achieved a boyhood ambition to play for Yorkshire. He played on and off for the county first and second teams, until 1911, averaging 16 innings a season. He had several centuries for the second team including 113 against Lincolnshire at Barnsley in 1908; 128 against Northumberland in Newcastle in 1910.
Great War Service
Serving in the Great War with the R.A.M.C. for two and a half years in Egypt, he was chosen to play for Alexandria against Cairo, but illness precluded him from enjoying the honour. Back in district cricket he scored 150 in the first final for the “Times” cup – in 1920 – for Hickleton against Swinton. Another highlight of his career was a 166 not out in an evening league game – time limit 1 ½ hours – against Dodworth in 1927.
After four years as professional with Farsley in the Bradford League from 1921 to 1925, he was with Bolton until 1931, joining the ranks of the few who have scored over 1,000 runs in Yorkshire Council cricket in three consecutive seasons. He started the run with a 1,200 in 1921. When he returned to Hickleton in 1931 he again captained the side and when he relinquished the position he had led the side for nearly 20 years. His last game for the club saw a well-hit 53 against Firbeck.
A staunch churchman, Mr. Turner had, since boyhood, been closely connected with Goldthorpe Parish Church. For 22 years, until an illness 18 months ago, he was Vicar’s Warden and up to his death was a member of the Church Council.