Ian Cockbain RIP

Ian Cockbain, the second-highest runs scorer in Cheshire’s history and a captain of the Minor Counties representative side, has died suddenly at the age of 64.

Cockbain, the father of Gloucestershire batter Ian, played for Lancashire from 1979 to 1983 before enjoying a long and successful career with Cheshire which included ten years as captain.

He scored 8,496 Minor Counties Championship runs for Cheshire between 1984 and 2001 and with runs scored for Lancashire’s Second XI in the competition earlier in his career, he ended his career with 9,781 runs in 172 matches.

He made 20 Championship centuries with a best of 131 not out against Dorset at Warrington in 1989.

Cockbain also made two centuries in the 50-overs Trophy competition and scored 1,515 runs in 47 matches.

He captained Minor Counties against South Africa at Torquay in 1994 in his final first-class appearance which came 11 years after his previous one for Lancashire.

His finest moment for Minor Counties came in 1992 when he made a match-winning 87 not out to steer the side to a thrilling one wicket victory over the touring Pakistan at Marlow, a match that did not have first-class status.

Cockbain captained Minor Counties in tour matches against Australia (twice) South Africa, West Indies and Young Australia and toured South Africa with Minor Counties in 1994.

He also captained Minor Counties in the Benson & Hedges Cup between 1993 and 1997 and was a member of the Cheshire side that famously beat Northamptonshire by one wicket in the 1987 NatWest Trophy at Chester Boughton Hall.

Cockbain played club cricket for Bootle in the Liverpool Competition for 30 years until he retired in 2008 aged 50. He came out of retirement six years later to helped revive Formby’s fortunes and led them to promotion in 2014.

The thoughts of all at National Counties Cricket Association are with the family, friends and colleagues of Ian Cockbain.