[5] In 1931, Brown continued to play for Cambridge, taking 5/153 against Oxford University when Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi made 238 not out.

[9][10] He made his highest first-class score of 212 against Middlesex at The Oval, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack commenting on "a glorious display of fearless hitting" with two sixes out of the ground, another five into the stands and fifteen fours.

When the coal mines were nationalised Brown lost his job and became the captain and assistant-secretary of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club (Northants) in 1949.

[16] As a result, Brown was asked to captain England in the last two Tests against New Zealand, taking two wickets and four catches in a 0–0 series draw.

[9][10] When George Mann and Norman Yardley turned down the captaincy of the 1950–51 tour of Australia, Brown came into consideration and was made captain of the Gentleman against Players at Lord's.

[17] Brown had only a modest Test career up to that point, having made only 233 runs at 23.30 and taken 14 wickets at 40.79,[18][19] but this was still a time when the England captain had to be an amateur even if he was a "passenger" in terms of ability.

Despite his team's poor performance, the forty-year-old Brown enjoyed personal success and won considerable popularity among Australian supporters with his determination to fight on regardless of the odds.

[24] The first Test at Woolloongabba was decided by a torrential rainstorm which flooded the ground after Australia had scored 228 and turned the wicket into a "sticky dog".

Brown missed an opportunity to save time when he misunderstood how long it took to roll the pitch, given that the ground still used a horse-drawn heavy roller.

He won the crowd over with this innings, especially when he hit Ian Johnson straight down the ground for six and through the covers for four.

[37] Brown scored 22 runs off 14 balls in the first innings and Lindwall says he "pitched and turned his leg-breaks on a good length equally well from either end" to take 4/82.

In Australia, Brown wanted to make an official complaint about the bowling action of Ian Meckiff, which was widely considered illegal, but team captain Peter May insisted on a diplomatic approach.

This failed when the Australian chairman of selectors, Sir Donald Bradman retorted that England must put its own house in order, referring to the dubious actions of Tony Lock and Peter Loader.

Brown was the manager of the Rest of the World cricket team in England in 1970 after the scheduled South African tour was cancelled for political reasons.

[5] He was able to turn or cut the ball with his large hands and was a wicket taker rather than a container of batsmen, but sometimes lost his line and length.

His bucket hands made him a good catcher and he once caught and bowled Keith Miller in both innings of a Test, so the Australian all-rounder nicknamed him 'C and B'.

Brown's combative captaincy is best remembered for leading poor teams regardless of the odds, Northants in 1949–53 and England in 1950–51, where he laid the foundations for future success.

[5] Allen Synge wrote that Brown as captain in the field took "impressive charge" and it was noticeable that players obeyed his commanding gestures "at the double".

[44] On the 1950–51 tour, Brown allowed the team to socialize more than previous captains had done and saw no reason why he should insist that amateur undergraduates should mix awkwardly with working class professionals, or that veterans should accompany their younger teammates.

According to Kay, Brown had a hearty appetite for food and drink and was combative and forceful by nature, which endeared him to the Australian public.

[6] On the other hand, professional players viewed Brown's silk neckerchief with contempt as it "enhanced the impression of a bumptious windbag".

[47] John Kay wrote Brown gave the youngsters Berry and Close "every encouragement and seldom complained at their repeated failures" and "the Yorkshire all-rounder was not as co-operative as he might have been".

Trueman and others believed that people like Brown and his colleague Gubby Allen "epitomised the pompous nature of English cricket in the days of amateurs and professionals, gentlemen and players".

[51] Although May was another public school-educated amateur, he supported Trueman and told Brown to "act in a manner befitting someone with managerial responsibility".

[52] Kay said Brown had a tendency to be bombastic in speech and could be forthright and ruthless, sometimes being churlish and rude to sensation-seeking reporters, but was always ready to talk amicably to genuine cricket journalists.