Obituaries

Local sport has been saddened by the passing this weekend of former Gosport Borough cricketer and Fareham Town footballer Mike Swain, aged 78, after a long and brave battle against dementia.
He was an outstanding sportsman, a top left-arm cricket all-rounder initially with Gosport Amateurs and Gosport Borough, a near automatic pick for Southern League representative sides and England seniors. A footballer with a cultured left foot, Mike was a prolific goalscorer in his Fareham Town days, his career taking him into the semi-professional game.   
An active member of Corhampton Golf Club (until fairly recently), Mike spent his entire business career with British Gas, being particularly prominent in the hugely successful sponsorship of Southern League cricket.

Michael John Byford, friend, team-mate and Surrey Seniors Legend

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our great Surrey Seniors legend Mike Byford.  A popular and personable man who was very good company and always enjoyed the company of team mates and opposition alike.

Most of you will know and remember Mike as a very good all round cricketer.  Mike will be remembered not only as a destructive batsman but also as a bowler who would often break batting partnerships with his ‘magic arm’.

The Surrey Honours Board records that Mike scored 10,635 runs for Surrey including 18 centuries, 65 50’s including a high score of 131 and finishing with a batting average of 48.12.  If you add the runs scored for his home club, Worcester Park the total is 19,767.

As a bowler Mike is 4^th in Surrey’s all time bowling list with 301 wickets.  Mike’s best being 5 – 12 for our 60+ section and 6 – 24 for our 70+ section.

We have lost a great friend and an irreplaceable team-mate. Our heartfelt condolences go to his wife Marion and daughters Clair and Gail. A mighty oak has fallen.

It is with great sadness that we report that our much admired member, Hugh Symes, passed away on Christmas Eve following a short battle with cancer.

Hugh played much of his club cricket for Leatherhead Cricket Club excelling with both bat and ball.

Hugh was, until last season our Surrey Seniors chairman and for many years a regular player in our 60+ and 70+ teams.  Hugh was also an SSCA main committee member and auditor.  We have lost a great supporter and a very fine man.

Our thoughts and condolences go to Hugh’s wife Diana, his daughter Rebecca, son Jonathan and the new baby grand-daughter.

On Behalf of Berkshire Seniors

Heather Wilkinson 4th August 2024

Heather was born in 1959 – the youngest of three sisters.

Cricket must have been in her blood because that was her chosen sport in school but In those benighted times she was denied the chance [“cricket is a boys game”] so lacrosse it was – under protest. When she met Simon and they became an ”item” cricket was once more an option. With a score book and pencil she became an undervalued scorer and statistician for a very small and amateur team called Ploughmans in the lower ranks of the Fullers Middlesex League. After two children – who spent a lot of weekends on the boundary edge – she wanted higher things so she went to Lords on a scorers course. At the end, a polite request for “anyone looking for a scorer?” coughed up Ealing Cricket Club and an Ealing legend was born. She scored for their seconds for three seasons, taking over the firsts in 2015 during which she scored their National T20 win at the Swalec stadium. Since then she has scored for Young England Ladies, Middlesex Seconds, MCCYC, Lords Indoor School, Berkshire Seniors, Essex Seniors and the Malta Seniors Festival, amongst others.

She died peacefully in her sleep in hospital on August 4^th. Much loved and much missed

We are sad to announce the passing of Rita Walton. Rita started scoring when she married Mike in 1983 and thought ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. She scored for Hurley CC for 40 years and was well known not only for her coloured pens, but also her bright red hair and painted nails as well as an array of colourful hats, scarves and fleeces to ward off the cold at early and late season matches. When Mike became old enough to play over 50s cricket, Rita became the scorer for the Berkshire 50+ 2nd XI who she regarded as ‘her boys’ and continued to score for them up to the end of 2023, culminating with their appearance in the 50+ 2nd XI Championship final against Essex, which was her last ever match. In more recent years, she scored for Berks 60+ teams as well as Bucks 60+ and 70+ teams and was well known and loved across the south of England for her sarcastic wit and sometimes acerbic comments. She died peacefully in her sleep on June 29th following a stroke a couple of months earlier. She will missed by all who knew her.