TRIBUTES have been paid to a keen cricketer who played in a Dorset Over-50s cricket team.

Roger Bosher, formerly of Puddletown, who has died aged 79 after a long illness, loved playing for his beloved team.

He was secretary/manager of the county vets’ team for a decade or more after a major stroke in 2003 caused him to retire after a career as a hugely difficult to get away seamer, a bowler a captain would always turn to if he needed to stem the flow of runs.

Roger, who lived in Puddletown for eight years before moving to Ringwood with his wife Medina, was thought of as one of Dorset cricket’s real characters.

From the early 1970s onwards, he played his club cricket for over 20 years for West Moors, where he was also groundsman, before donning the white coat to become one of Dorset’s best known umpires.

Roger certainly didn’t swap his cricket whites for his umpire’s coat as he turned out for Colehill and during the latter part of his career enjoyed turning out for the Bournemouth Wanderers’ vets side.

It was his involvement with the Wanderers that led to him playing for Dorset Over-50s from 1991 to 2003 when he suffered a major stroke the night after a match.

Undaunted and ably supported throughout that time by his wife Medina, Roger continued as Secretary/Manager of the Over 50s until 2013, when his failing health made it too difficult for him to cope.

“He was a man with a very sharp wit and was always laughing and joking,” recalled Dorset county cricket scorer Chris Drew, a close personal friend.

“Roger would get very frustrated with the paralysis that stopped him performing some tasks but he never complained and never asked ‘why me ?’.

Long-time team-mate Keith Balmer said: “Roger was my ‘turn to’ bowler when I wanted to stem the flow of runs, or more often than not, opening the bowling with him to halt run rates.“However, this had its drawbacks was he would often bowl his eight overs for about 11 runs and then retreat to square-leg, talk to the umpire for remaining 32 overs in the field and then have big tea before sitting down with his pipe to watch the boys score the runs.

“He was the star of the game for 15 overs out of the 80 in the match.

“He didn’t run after ball in the field and didn’t bat but loved every minute of any game, particularly the initial 15 overs of the match if we were bowling first.

“Roger rarely conceded a boundary in his eight-over stints, and if by chance he did, he was mortified and hugely self-critical.”

Left-hand batsman Balmer, who played for Bournemouth for many years alongside skippering West Moors to numerous triumphs in the Wimborne & District Midweek League, paid tribute to Roger’s role in the team’s successes.

“He was a key part in an awesome four-man seam bowling attack, typically giving nothing away in his spells,” Balmer recalled.

“When he stopped playing, Roger devoted countless hours to his beloved Dorset Over-50s, relishing away trips to the Channel Islands and the West Country.

“I am not alone in thinking how privileged I was to be in his company on so many occasions. He didn’t deserve to be struck down so badly.

“He was a great guy, but above all one of cricket’s great characters and will be very sadly missed.”

MIKE VIMPANY