The Club Cricket Conference Yearbook 2020

- 87 - Charlie Puckett remembers that the last time he saw Dave play cricket (in a manner of speaking) was at Wokingham CC when the visiting MCC team was a player short. He borrowed spare kit from some of the players to enable him to take the field. Sadly, the trousers belonged to somebody who must have stood at least 6’6” tall in his stockinged feet and weighed in at about 20 stones. He prowled (sic) the area around mid-off keeping well away from any fielding when at last an off drive made him look up. Slowly the awful realisation dawned that he was not only the sole fielder in the area but that nobody else was going to help out. He manfully set out on the chase, keeping a tight hold of his trousers until finally he lost his grip, gravity took over and he tripped, the trousers by now being around his ankles. The ball had come to a halt just short of the line and the spectators were treated to the hysterical sight of Dave heroically plodding on all fours up the slope. He needn’t have worried because everybody on the field had collapsed laughing – none more so than Mr. Burden! He was not to be found short in the humour department. In 1986 he was elected a Member of the MCC and joined their umpires panel where more honours came his way, including tours to Germany, USA and Australia. Finally, he was a member of the Club Cricket Conference umpires panel and was invited to tour Australia in company with Neil Bainton (later of the First Class List) where he met Sir Donald Bradman. In addition to his on-field activities, Dave was also Chairman of Discipline for the Home Counties PL, helped deliver the new pilot level 3 ECB ACO training course, spent several years helping the ECB with TV analysis work and assessing on-field umpires – including prospective first class panel - and, possibly his most important contribution to club cricket, in 2005 he became Chairman of the now defunct Association of Cricket Umpires & Scorers, ousting the incumbent and attempting in vain to save it; at least he had the satisfaction of knowing his efforts were not entirely in vain as the ECB stepped in to found the ECB ACO. After his retirement he and Anthea would sit at one end of the ground holding court – a visitor, stopping for a chat, would know where they stood in the firmament if they were offered alcoholic refreshment and myriad victuals (something also to be enjoyed on the concourse of the Pavilion at Lord’s) from Anthea’s seemingly endless supply. When cricketers are asked their views of the best qualities in an umpire, they would include: decision-making (surely a given), integrity, knowledge of the game and an understanding, and ability to deal with, players. He had all of that in spades but, perhaps most importantly, they would surely add, “and he must be a good bloke” . This last was most definitely true and we all miss him – Lord’s and Minor Counties cricket is not the same without him. We send our heartfelt sympathies to Anthea and his family. Paul Adams, Jeremy Coles & Charlie Puckett