When the great Doctor David English MBE asked me if I would write a article for the 21st Anniversary Bunbury Brochure, I was so delighted and honoured to accept.

Bunbury’s cricket teams are renowned throughout the world.  They do a tremendous amount of work for charities I have a lot to be thankful for all the help David and his team have done for my own Dickie Bird Foundation to help less privileged children within the sport.

It as always has been a privilege for me to umpire some of the matches and to be on the same cricket field as some of the great stars, David always gets to play for them, that is the great respect they have for him, and for all the good work he does, and we must not forget his first class captains to have great players like Joe that fine slow bowler and wonderful stroke player, you have got to be a good captain.

We must never forget the wonderful work David does for young cricketers especially for the English Schools Cricket Association some of the would be great players have gone through his hands, and they have a lot to be thankful to him for all their success.  All of them have played in his success.  All of them have played in his cricket tournaments when youngsters Freddie Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, just two of them.

When you umpire the Bunbury’s you can always go off to the toilet if nature calls, I always remember standing in a test match at Old Trafford, England versus Australia I
wanted to go to the toilet to the amusement of the players so I stopped the Test Match and said to the players “I am sorry you Lads but nature calls”, and off I ran to the toilet to the amusement of the players and a tremendous roar from the crowd.

As I have said it is a tremendous thrill for me to do this article for the 21st Anniversary Bunbury Brochure.  David has given a tremendous service to cricket and he forms the backbone of the game, one of the unsung heroes, the supporting actors, if you like.  David has had his many awards and his contributions have been valuable and characteristic.  Now is the time to wish him and the Bunbury’s well and to wish them all the very best in the future.

Good luck me “OLD MATE”