Blake is 50 (years) not out for Southwater Cricket Club

As the weather begins to warm up interest in the fast-approaching cricket season is growing and for one Southwater CC player there may be more anticipation for the coming year than everyone else.

Having recently celebrated his 65th birthday, it has been calculated that Melvin Blake will have played for his village club for at least fifty consecutive years when he once again dons the whites in 2023!

In his younger days, Melvin was a fast and fiery bowler and the sight of him racing in from the top of the slope at the old Church Lane ground, with long, blond hair flowing was an intimidating sight for opposition batters.

Nowadays, his underused loopy leg-spinners set a different challenge. But what has not changed is his ability to occupy the crease as a stylish opening batsman, hopefully to add to his mass of runs in league cricket, which play-cricket stats have him ninth on Southwater’s all-time list with approaching 3,000 runs.

Good luck for the season, Melv and well played!