Dublin University Cricket Club Programme 2013

Obituaries It has been a sad winter for the club, with the untimely passing of four significant figures in our history. Here Michael Halliday and Ger Siggins pay tribute... Graham Pasley was captain of DUCC in 1984. A mediumpace inswing bowler, he was captain of cricket at Wesley College. He went on to play in Phoenix were he was the LCU representative. He would be happy to be described as being a cricketer who was known to rely on a well structured sense of humour to enjoy his activities during a match. He was a measured and thoughtful gentleman and one of those people who was worth listening too, because you knew it would be suffi- ciently erudite to warrant attention. I was fortunate to teach and coach Graham in cricket and rugby and spent an interesting three hours sitting beside him at the LCU awards dinner a week before he died so unexpectedly in November. He was a good schools prop forward, but the thing I remember most about his play was his deter- mination to drop a goal, preferably from about 40 yards. This appealed to his sense of humour as props are not generally noted for that particular skill. His funeral was naturally a very sad occasion, especially Aifric and his three children, all under 10. However the huge congre- gation left the church with a smile as three pieces were played to accompany the coffin. The Test Match Special theme, The Python’s ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ and finally the Goons’ ‘Ying Tong’ song. Graham would have thoroughly approved. Hart Cox died in February after sto- ically suffering fromMS for about 15 years. Educated in St. Columba’s Col- lege, he played Irish Schools in 1969 before playing on the last DUCC XI that won the Leinster League, in 1970. While playing cricket and rugby in Trinity after two years he came to the conclusion that he might not be sufficiently academic to con- tinue and his cricket career contin- ued in Phoenix Park where he won a number of Senior Cup and League medals. He was a middle order bat and superb cover fielder, and a true gentleman and rounded athlete who had an old style attitude to games. Michael Beamish, captain of DUCC in 1980, remembers bowling at Hart just before tea in a Phoenix / DUCC league match. Hart hit Michael’s last two balls for 6 and when walking off apologised to the Trinity captain. I suppose they had attended the same school!