Tributes have been paid to St Cross Symondians cricket president Mike Adams, who passed away recently after a long and courageous battle with Parkinsons.
Over 200 club members, friends and family attended a remembrance for Mike, with some travelling hundreds of miles to the club's Green Jackets ground on the outskirts of Winchester, showing the depth of affection in which Mike was held.
In a moving tribute, club captain Matt Perry-Lewis said that St Cross wouldn’t be enjoying the firm footing it now has, without all the love and effort that Mike had put in over the years.
He recalled: "Mike and wife Jenny’s involvement started when their three boys starting to playing for the club within the junior section. They then moved into the senior section and represented
the 1st team, with Jimmy progressing a great deal further by playing and going on to captain Hampshire for four years.
Mike Adams was chairman at St Cross from 2007-2012 and then president from 2017. He worked tirelessly with others on the club committee to both promote the club, as well as help with fund raising to provide the club greater security.
"Again, without the hard work from so many, including Mike, the club wouldn’t have progressed in the way it has," Perry-Lewis continued.
"His famous committee meetings always involved healthy debate as well as structured conversation on how the club's future and stability could be bettered.
"Mike was an ideas man and he always offered plenty of opinion - as well as some offbeat suggestions - on how we could improve things. Those ideas required following through and Mike’s connections and
network would be tapped into to help with that.
"For years, he would know who to get to help him and decisions were always made with St Cross at the forefront. His great mate Jigger Jenkins made a great ally and they both achieved a huge amount off the pitch while also enjoying watching their boys play.
"Latterly as President, Mike would love to watch the St Cross teams on a Saturday as well as his grandchildren playing. He could be seen with a beer in his hand, and he was and he was always a huge supporter of the club and it’s progression.
Appropriately, the main ground at St Cross has been named after Mike. Testament to all his hard work.
"It has been an honour to call Mike Adams a good friend and we all miss him greatly," Perry-Lewis concluded.
Over 200 club members, friends and family attended a remembrance for Mike, with some travelling hundreds of miles to the club's Green Jackets ground on the outskirts of Winchester, showing the depth of affection in which Mike was held.
In a moving tribute, club captain Matt Perry-Lewis said that St Cross wouldn’t be enjoying the firm footing it now has, without all the love and effort that Mike had put in over the years.
He recalled: "Mike and wife Jenny’s involvement started when their three boys starting to playing for the club within the junior section. They then moved into the senior section and represented
the 1st team, with Jimmy progressing a great deal further by playing and going on to captain Hampshire for four years.
Mike Adams was chairman at St Cross from 2007-2012 and then president from 2017. He worked tirelessly with others on the club committee to both promote the club, as well as help with fund raising to provide the club greater security.
"Again, without the hard work from so many, including Mike, the club wouldn’t have progressed in the way it has," Perry-Lewis continued.
"His famous committee meetings always involved healthy debate as well as structured conversation on how the club's future and stability could be bettered.
"Mike was an ideas man and he always offered plenty of opinion - as well as some offbeat suggestions - on how we could improve things. Those ideas required following through and Mike’s connections and
network would be tapped into to help with that.
"For years, he would know who to get to help him and decisions were always made with St Cross at the forefront. His great mate Jigger Jenkins made a great ally and they both achieved a huge amount off the pitch while also enjoying watching their boys play.
"Latterly as President, Mike would love to watch the St Cross teams on a Saturday as well as his grandchildren playing. He could be seen with a beer in his hand, and he was and he was always a huge supporter of the club and it’s progression.
Appropriately, the main ground at St Cross has been named after Mike. Testament to all his hard work.
"It has been an honour to call Mike Adams a good friend and we all miss him greatly," Perry-Lewis concluded.
