Cooper had played for Lancashire's Second XI as a teenager before the war, but his first-class debut came for that county against Oxford University in May 1946; he made 6 and 20 not out.
The following summer he had his best season in county cricket, hitting 618 runs at 22.88 including his only first-class century: 113 not out in the second innings against Nottinghamshire; his brother and teammate Edwin had made exactly 100 in the first innings of the same match.
[2] In the 1949 and 1950 seasons, Cooper played only intermittently for the Worcestershire first team, spending a considerable amount of time turning out for the Second XI in the Minor Counties Championship.
Cooper was born in Bacup, Lancashire; he died in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire at the age of 65.
His brother Edwin had a much longer career with Worcestershire, playing 249 times for the county.