Bransby Cooper

Bransby Beauchamp Cooper (15 March 1844 – 7 August 1914) was a member of the Australian cricket team that played the inaugural Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1877. Cooper was born in Dacca in what was then British India in 1844. He played first-class cricket as an amateur in England for Middlesex and Kent County Cricket Clubs before moving to Australia where he played for Victoria. He was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper and the first Indian-born Test cricketer.

Early life Cooper has been described as "a public-school educated product of the English establishment". He was born in Dacca in British India, the son of Bransby Henry Cooper and his wife Mary. His father was an officer in the East India Company and died in 1857, his mother returning to England to live at Hemel Hempstead. Cooper was educated at Rugby School where he played cricket in the school XI between 1860 and 1862, coached by Alfred Diver.

Cricket Cooper played club cricket for Southgate Cricket Club and Free Foresters before going on to play first-class cricket for Middlesex and Kent. He made his first-class debut in 1863 for Middlesex against Surrey before the county club was formally founded and played in the first match Middlesex played after their formation in 1864. He also played for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the Gentlemen, often playing with W. G. Grace who made his Gentlemen debut in the same match as Cooper.

After the 1869 season Cooper moved firstly to the United States, where he played cricket for St George's Cricket Club at Hudson City in 1870, and then to Australia in 1871. In the inaugural Test match at Melbourne in 1877 Cooper was expected to be named as captain as Victorians outnumbered New South Welshmen. Dave Gregory was instead elected by the players for this honour. In what was to be his only Test match Cooper scored 15 and 3 runs and took 2 catches whilst becoming the first player to make their Test debut on their birthday. He helped Charles Bannerman add 77 for the fourth wicket in the first innings, the highest partnership of the match.

In all first-class matches, Cooper scored 1,600 runs at a batting average of 20.51, took 41 catches and made 20 stumpings.

Professional and later life Cooper worked on the London Stock Exchange. He was in business in both the United States and Australia, eventually becoming a senior official in the Customs Department at Queenscliff and Melbourne.

After marrying Helen Wilkinson in 1875 Cooper played less cricket. The couple had three daughters. They were living in Queenscliff when he died in Geelong in 1914 aged 70. He is buried in the Geelong Eastern Cemetery.