Player Profile: Hamer Boot

Profile by Oliver Charles Malcolm

Self-taught at Westbourne Prep School, Hamer Boot was one of Sheffield’s most prodigious junior talents and perhaps only second to Ross Sylvester across the whole Yorkshire County at age 10. Nevertheless, it was in his own words "an administrative cock-up" that led to him being appointed captain in his final year.

A childhood fan of Yorkshire CC, Hamer was by his own admission "too stupid to understand [cricket]" and it wasn't until he arrived at the doors of Repton School that he finally came into his own as a cricketer.

An enthusiastic all rounder, Boot really made his name in the school's Junior Cricket League, where he enjoyed two seasons as a steady bowler, steady batsman, steady fielder and an unsteady authoritarian leader who forced his elders (Phil Hewlett/Tom Chapman) to go on the weekly grubber run - resulting in their inability to bat, defeat Hall House and have any hope in the League.

Hamer made his big comeback in the burning heat of Santiago Chile, where his personal journey was replicated in batting form. The once steady and level headed prefect had turned into an aggressive and cocksure rogue, lofting his first ball for six and following it up with a similarly aggressive boundary.

Boot’s ferocity in batting has always been nicely counterbalanced by the nimbleness of his off spinners. Regular practise in the Brooke House net seemed to bear little fruit on the pitch, where an alarming lack of control over length (beamer and quadruple bouncers equally likely) has often been his downfall.

Of course it is in fielding where Hamer truly proves his worth to the side. Often compared to a panther, his stealthy movements are rarely picked up by opposition batsmen. Indeed it was on one such occasion when, on returning from a lung-busting run to a position some 300m beyond the extra cover boundary, Boot snaffled a crucial catch for C.C.(C.C.)C.C. in 2004.

*** 2009 UPDATE: Boot strikes the half century mark for the first time, smiting 74 off 53 balls in the inaugural Not the MCC v Not the MCC Seniors match. Brutal hitting by the Boy from Bamford, though he did rather carelessly blot his copybook by running out three teammates. ***

*** 2009 UPDATE PART II: This is getting ridiculous. Boot has shot to the top of the Runs Per Innings charts with successive scores of 74, 70 and 91! The Chile manager was unavailable for comment.***

Career Statistics

Not the MCC

Batting

Bowling

Bowling