In recent days we have learnt of the passing of Jim Rushton. Jim had been an ever present stalwart of the club for over fifty years fulfilling a multitude of roles. Many will have missed him in recent years as he battled with illness. Mark Ryan has prepared a short obituary which is below. Jim’s funeral is at Oakley Wood on 11th November at 11.30am.
Never could it be more truly said or written that Jim Rushton was a “club” man.
In his multivarious roles he performed with energy, clarity, intelligence and considerable administrative skill all, no doubt borne out of his challenging and high profile post as deputy registrar at Warwick University, a role in which he proved to be dynamic and innovative. He died on Tuesday 20th October 2026 aged 88.
Jim's early cricketing experience was honed as a 15 year old in the 1st XI at Bacup Cricket Club in the Lancashire league under the watchful eyes of two fine West Indian players Everton Weekes and George Headley.
Bowling slow left arm, he had a remarkable record of never taking fewer than 25 wickets a season, and with 56 in 1972 and 1975 And 72 in 1973, many with a prodigious in swinging arm ball; overall 377 wickets were at 18.4. He was a fierce competitor in the field, an astute and adaptable captain and a charming host at the bar. As one fellow player remarked Jim’s appeal for a wicket “remains as Elgar to DK Lillie’s heavy metal”. For two or three seasons Jim took up umpiring, admitting privately to me that he wasn’t entirely au fait with all the laws; more often than not patent leather shoes accompanied his immaculate turnout; his lbw decisions for me were as Coburn to Coleman.
Prior to Kevin Mitchell steering LCC to charity status, Jim was chairman of Trustees, and at a time when the club was under severe pressure to move, many exhaustive and exhausting meetings considered future planning and redevelopment.
Between 1993 and 1996 and 1997 and 2001 Jim was successively Chairman and President, a lengthy period which saw the club cope with the increasing professionalism of the amateur sport, discussions on league formats, absorb the shock of the collapse of Flavells CC, attend to a series of trading losses, organise a sumptuous centenary dinner(1999) yet oversee a remarkable period which produced many talented young cricketers. All this Jim met with characteristic resourcefulness, good humour but with a steely grip on doing things properly and with and often commented grace and charm.
Truly he was a “ verray parfit gentil knyght