Sir Tim O'Brien, 3rd Baronet

Tim O'Brien

Personal information
Full name	Timothy Carew O'Brien
Born	5 November 1861 Dublin, Ireland
Died	9 December 1948 (aged 87) Ramsey, Isle of Man
Batting style	Right-handed
Bowling style	Left arm, unknown style
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 44)	10 July 1884 v Australia
Last Test	23 March 1896 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1902–1907	Ireland
1881–1898	Middlesex
1884–1885	Oxford University
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class Matches 5 266 Runs scored 59 11,397 Batting average 7.37 27.00 100s/50s 0/0 15/58 Top score 20 202 Balls bowled 0 484 Wickets – 4 Bowling average – 85.00 5 wickets in innings – – 10 wickets in match – – Best bowling – 1/10 Catches/stumpings 4/– 173/2
Source: Cricinfo, 11 November 2008

Sir Timothy Carew O'Brien, 3rd Baronet (5 November 1861, Dublin – 9 December 1948, Ramsey, Isle of Man) was an Irish baronet who played cricket for England in five Test matches.

A forceful right-handed batsman, O'Brien played in 266 first class cricket matches as an amateur for Oxford University (where he studied at New Inn Hall and won a Blue in 1884) and 1885 and in fairly regular appearances for Middlesex through to 1898. His 92 for Oxford against the 1884 Australians was instrumental in the university's only victory over an Australian team. He played for England against Australia at Old Trafford that year and again four years later at Lord's, but in neither game did his distinguish himself.

He toured with MCC teams twice: in 1887–88 he went with George Vernon to Australia and in 1895–96 he went with Lord Hawke's side to South Africa, where he acted as captain once against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in February 1896, winning the game largely as a result of George Lohmann's match return of 15/45 (7/38 and 8/7).

In county cricket, he was known for hard hitting innings, with a highest score of 202, scored as part of a partnership with Robert Slade Lucas that put on 338 in 200 minutes.

Uniquely, O'Brien captained Ireland as well as England, recording a top score of 167 against his alma mater for the country of his birth during a brief Irish tour of England. This remained an Irish record until 1973.

O'Brien married Gundrered Annette Teresa de Trafford, daughter of Sir Humphrey de Trafford 2nd baronet on 26 September 1885 at All Saints Church, Barton upon Irwell and they had 10 children, one of whom, Timothy Jnr., died in Flanders during the First World War. Another child, daughter Sicele O'Brien was a well known pioneer pilot. Sir Timothy was, at the time of his death in 1948, the oldest cricketer to have played in England-Australia Tests. His brother John also played international cricket for Ireland.

See also

• History of Test cricket (1884 to 1889)
• History of Test cricket (1890 to 1900)
• List of Test cricketers born in non-Test playing nations

External links

• Player profile from Cricinfo
• CricketArchive page on Tim O'Brien
• "O'Brien, Sir Timothy Carew". Who Was Who 1920–2008. Oxford University Press. December 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2009.

T.C. O'Brien