Ventnor Cricket Club’s Sunday match at Steephill brought together players past and present from Ventnor and St Helens to remember the late Cliff Martin, who served both clubs with distinction during a cricketing career which spanned three decades.
Batting first, Jamie Miller’s fine innings innings of 87 was the backbone of Ventnor’s 211-6, with Hugh Calloway (29) and veterans Peter Buckley (34) and Steve Clutterbuck (20) chipping in.
Tom Dye led the visitors’ response with 47 but despite a late flurry from Lee Brown (34), Miller with 2-19 and Kevin Attrill (2-18) restricted St Helens to 171-8.
Fundraising for British Lung Foundation
The match, which raised £250 for the British Lung Foundation, was attended by Cliff’s widow Wendy and the family and many former players such as Charlie Millington, Alan Burnett, Dickie Randall, Ged Steele, Peter Hunt, Bill Clutterbuck, Barry Allen, Brian Harris, John Hilsum, Keith Newnham, Graham Cotton, Keith Mitchell, Mick Blackman, Jim Edmonds, Jeff Hose and Danny Ryan who all played with or against Cliff through the years.
Wendy presented Ventnor skipper for the day Steve Clutterbuck with a framed photograph of Cliff, who also served as Chairman of the Steephill Club for several years.
Image: Britanglishman under CC BY 2.0
