Dave Berry was also a keen golfer and badminton player. Photo / Bevan Conley
Dave Berry was also a keen golfer and badminton player. Photo / Bevan Conley
David 'Straw' Berry lived Saturday to Saturday, such was his love for Whanganui cricket.
Berry died on September 4, aged 67.
The New Zealand Cricket level 3 coach, worked with local age-group representative teams for well over 30 years, after playing for Whanganui himself in the 1970s and 1980s.
Hewas awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Coaching Trophy at New Zealand Cricket's 2015/2016 Community Cricket Awards.
Former Cricket Wanganui general manager Dilan Raj said Berry would have worked with every cricketer in the city at one time or another.
"It almost feels like there's a missing part there now."
Berry had been out for a round of golf with Raj's daughters, Tara and Sera, a few months ago, and despite being ill, he was still "chirpy and cracking jokes", Raj said.
"It's a great loss to cricket, and it's the loss of a good friend."
Eric Head played cricket with and against Berry in the late 1970s and 1980s, and said, as a top order batsman, Berry was "very hard to get out".
"He came to Whanganui from a little place called Rata, in Rangitīkei," Head said.
"I played for United, and he came along to our practice. He thought we were a bit too flash for him, so he went and played for Wanganui, which turned into Wanganui-Kaierau.
"Dave worked really hard at his game, and he forced himself into the Whanganui rep side through some really good performances.
"He was renowned for using his pad more than his bat, though."
Head said that hard work translated into Berry's coaching as well, from Whanganui and Central Districts age-group teams to the Collegiate First XI.
"There was no mucking around with Straw. He was straight up.
Berry (sitting, second from right) with the Whanganui representative cricket team during the 1979/80 season. Photo / Supplied
"I don't think you could find anyone who would speak badly about him, as a man or as a player."
Outside of cricket, Berry worked in real estate with Coull Battell, before running Wanganui Money Lenders on Guyton St.
He was also a keen golfer and badminton player.
Longtime friend and Wanganui-Kaierau team-mate Garry Spooner confirmed Head's comments of Berry using his "pad first and bat second".
"There was one day where he and I were batting together against United and Dave was padding up to Eric left, right and centre," Spooner said.
"The umpire, Brian Foley, had a bit of a reputation for hurrying thing up if they were going a bit slowly, and quite often he gave some pretty rough decisions.
"Dave got one on his pads, Eric appealed, and he was on his way.
"Dave looked down the wicket, threw his bat on the deck, and said 'You know what? You've just f***** up my Saturday'. Then he stormed off.
"He just lived from Saturday to Saturday, that's how much he loved the game."
Former Wanganui District Council chief executive Kevin Ross said their families had been friends for many years.
"On the Friday before he died he was giving me golf chipping lessons in his lounge with the top off a sunscreen bottle, and giving his son Fraser cricket coaching over the phone," Ross said.
"He was a real team player and a good analyst of any game, no matter if it was one he played or one didn't play.
"There was certainly some advice for referees on the rugby field when he was watching TV."
On the badminton court, the pair could argue over strategies "from point to point", Ross said.
"He was always looking for improvements in people. Apparently he was giving Kane Williamson some advice when he got his coaching award from New Zealand Cricket.
"Nobody, and I say nobody, was spared from coaching tips."
Berry had achieved notable success on the badminton court as well as on the cricket field, Ross said.
"Dave was really into badminton from about the age of 21. He thought it was a good game, and one that enabled a bit of strategy and strength.
"He represented Whanganui in open badminton and Masters, and he won some national Masters titles.
"Even with golf I think he might have played pennants as a fill-in. Whatever sport he took up, he gave wholeheartedly to it.
"The team always came first."
Spooner said he regularly stopped into Wanganui Money Lenders for a chat when he was passing by.
"Dave was always very positive about life, and his great rock was his dear lady, Beth.
"When Dave and I leave the world we're both going to heaven, and we'll be playing on a lovely green field with puffy white clouds. The angels would have prepared the salmon and cucumber sandwiches.
"We'll be looking for the umpires, but there's none up there.
"They've gone elsewhere."
Berry leaves behind his wife, Beth, daughter, Rachel, and sons Latham and Fraser.
