Cricket: Moment's silence for CHB stalwart

CHB premier men's cricket coach, Colin Atkinson (above), says the community will miss Mike Lewis very much. PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND

SILENCE is a source of great strength and that is what Hawke's Bay premier men's club cricketers will draw on today to start their campaigns in Napier.

The Hawke's Bay Cricket Association will observe a "moment's silence" at 10.20am to acknowledge the loss of Central Hawke's Bay stalwart Mike Lewis who died suddenly last month.

"He was a very passionate man around cricket and its growth and development, especially involving young people," says Ruahine Ford CHB CC premier coach Colin Atkinson before they face Bayleys Real Estate Havelock North CC in the Property Brokers-sponsored 110-over format competition at Nelson Park No 5 from 10.30am.

Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall CC will take on Big Barrel Napier Tech Old Boys on Nelson Park No 1 while United Travel Taradale CC will lock horns with The Station Napier Old Boys' Marist on Nelson Park No 3.

Atkinson says Lewis, who was 53, was good at fostering cricket in CHB and had served for 17 years as premier coach, manager, scorer and even groundsman at the Forest Gate Domain in Ongaonga where the team hosts their home games on Saturdays.

"He used to present a radio sports show on Central FM at 6.30am, finish that and take the covers off at the park, conduct the cricket warm up for the prems, put out the sight screens and then observe the team's performance for the rest of the day," says the 64-year-old, who took over as coach when Colin Schaw was appointed the Pay Excellence HB senior men's representative team late last year.

Even though Atkinson got to deal with him personally over that short duration, the former Central Districts Stags batsman (1975-81) says it was widely known that Lewis wasn't shy to roll up his sleeves and encourage others.

"He would host after-match functions and then dash out to water the grounds and give it a quick cut for the next time," he says of Lewis who would turn up on Sunday mornings to tidy up the block.

Atkinson, who played for Central and Southern HB from 1965-70, says Lewis also was highly rated as an educator during his stint as Ongaonga Primary School principal.
"A lot of lads went through under his watch."

He says not just the club but the CHB community and sporting community will feel his absence.

"His son, Hamish, is still a player with us so it'll be a very big day for him, too.

"He went away very suddenly and tragically so we'll all miss him very much."

The Angus Schaw-captained CHB will have non-contracted CD Stag Josh Clarkson, of Nelson, in their squad this summer.

"He's a big-hitting batsman and bowls reasonably sharp," says Atkinson, adding Clarkson will add to the allround abilities of South African import GC Pretorius back for another summer.

CHB intend to finish in the top-four position of every format.

"We'll be hit a little bit with the HB reps but when we get a full squad on the park we'll expect them to be very good."

HB Cricket CEO Craig Findlay says the revamped 110-over format will provide the opportunity to play two innings for the possibility of an outright result this season.

"The key for this format is for the games to go the distance. Last summer the 55-over modified games saw a number of matches finish early as teams were getting bowled out for fewer than 100 runs on too many occasions," says Findlay.

Some exciting faces are in the side - Taradale have a South African U19 rep, Dean Foxcraft, NTOB have ex-Black Cap Jesse Ryder, Cornwall have an Irish international, Graeme McCarter, NOBM have some new faces, and Havelock have an Auckland A player, Brad Schmulian.