Ken Palmer dead: Cricket legend dies at 87 as tributes poured in for former player & umpire

Cricketing legend Ken Palmer died aged 87 in Musgrove Park Hospital on Tuesday (July 23). At 24, he became the youngest player to achieve the double of 1,000 first-class runs and 100 first-class wickets. Palmer then served as an international umpire for 31 years before retiring. He was awarded the MBE for his services to cricket in 2003.

Born in Winchester on April 22, 1937, Palmer grew up in Devizes and was invited to Hampshire for trials. Despite not being offered terms, he signed with Somerset and made his debut at the County Ground at 16 in the spring of 1954. His first team debut came against Middlesex at Bath in June the following year, where he claimed two wickets in their first innings.

Palmer quickly built a reputation as a right-handed batsman and fast medium bowler. Between 1955 and 1969, he made 302 appearances for Somerset, scoring 7,567 runs at an average of 20.67, including two centuries, with a best of 125 not out against Northamptonshire in 1961, the only year he topped 1,000 runs.

As a bowler, he took 837 wickets at an average of 21.10, with his best performance being nine for 57 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1963. He achieved 100 first-class wickets in a season four times, peaking with 126 in 1963.

In 1963, Palmer served as 12th man for England and made his sole Test appearance in 1965 against South Africa at Port Elizabeth. After retiring from playing, he became a highly respected umpire, officiating 22 Test Matches and 23 One Day Internationals.

Peter Robinson, a former teammate and close friend, said: "Ken was a gutsy cricketer - what I would call a muck and bullets player. He would always get stuck in with the bat and bowl all day. He was a tough cricketer and was unlucky not to have played more Test matches - he should have played in England really."

In tribute, Somerset County Cricket Club flew their flag at half-mast and plans to honour Palmer ahead of their Metro Bank One Day Cup match against Kent Spitfires on Friday.

His death comes after another cricketing legend, Sir Geoffrey Boycott, 83 underwent surgery after being diagnosed with throat cancer for the second time earlier this month. Despite a successful three-hour operation, his health has deteriorated, and he is now back in the hospital with pneumonia, "unable to eat or drink" and is "on oxygen and a feeding tube".