He was later well known as a cricket administrator, serving as secretary of Yorkshire for twenty turbulent years from 1971, until his death at the age of 60 in 1991.
Born in Thirsk, Yorkshire, England, Lister represented the Rest against Southern Public Schools at Lord's in 1948 scoring 75 in eighty minutes.
Lawrence Rowe scored a hundred in his first innings and fifty in his second, both unbeaten, but the game ended in a draw.
He scored four 50s and came agonisingly close to what would have been a maiden century for Worcestershire against Kent at New Road, Worcester in 1955, the season he played twelve County Championship matches.
Lister's diplomatic skills meant that the feuding remained in the committee rooms rather than spilling out on to the field of play, and he was also successful in deflecting continued criticism of the pitches and the crowds at Headingley which threatened, at times, its place as a regular Test venue.