Long time rival and renowned Ventnor cricketer Jeff Hose has led the tributes to Shanklin’s Dave Porter, who will play his final innings next Thursday (February 7), having died suddenly while on holiday in Tenerife last month. He was aged 71.
Mr Porter, a long term partner in the well established Whitehouse-Porter estate agency business in Sandown, was one of the island’s best known cricketers.
He made over 30,000 runs for the Westhill club and represented the Isle of Wight, many times as captain, throughout his long and successful career.
The Shanklin-Ventnor derbies were undoubtedly the highlight of the island cricket calendar before the coming of league cricket and Hose and Porter locked horns for summers on end.
Reflecting on those fiercely fought derby games, Hose said: “Hand on heart I can’t ever remember a word in anger with Dave, but that said and without a shadow of doubt he was the player in the Shanklin side that we all wanted out.
“He could simply change the course of a game in a matter of just a few overs. Until his wicket fell you could never rest easy !
“Dave was simply a very powerful left-hand batsman who could even dispatch a good ball to the boundary - which he did with distain to good balls in many of my overs.
“But what we had on our side at Ventnor was ‘the rug’
“I’m not so sure that David was a huge fan of the Steephill artificial pitch as Ventnor had a reasonable and pretty good front line pace attack at that time !
“After a game the battles were all forgotten about with a swift half or two in the bar.
“Every club needs a David Porter in their club. He was just immense in more ways than one and a true Legend of Shanklin cricket.
“I really can’t believe that I won’t see David around anymore but we will always remember the fun we had on the field of play.”
‘Burly left-hander’
Dave Porter had joined Shanklin after a highly promising upbringing at Westover, where the seeds of a successful cricket career (also as a slow left-arm bowler) were sown at just 12 years of age.
He soon became a regular member of the successful Westover team - the start of a career for the ‘burly left hander’ which lasted for 45 years or so.
It wasn’t long after that – Dave was just 16 years of age – when he made the first of the many centuries he was to score in his career. The knock earned Dave his first call up to play for the Island Villages XI
In his mid-20’s Dave was persuaded to join Shanklin, where he remained a member for over 40 years.
During that time he became the club’s leading all-time run scorer, amassing over 30,000 runs. He also played for and captained the Island representative team on numerous occasions.
At Carisbrooke Grammar School, Dave had excelled at all sports and he represented the Island Schools at cricket, and football, being a very competent goalkeeper.
It was whilst Dave was still at school he was introduced to Newport FC at Church Litten, signed and made his debut for them at just 15 years old – one of the youngest people to start his football career at the club.
Saints trials
He was spotted by Southampton, who invited him across for a trial and, along with another Island player, the late Chris Cheverton, went on to make a number of appearances for the Saints Youth Team, playing alongside Dell legend and later England international Mike Channon.
Dave also played some reserve team games with Swindon Town, in a side containing Ernie Hunt, Mike Summerbee and Dan Rogers, but then manager Bert Head told him he was too small to make the grade !
Football wasn’t a future Dave wanted and he gave up the sport for two years before he joined Brighstone as a centre forward. From goalkeeper to goal scorer ! He later went on to play for a number of local clubs, including Yarmouth and Shanklin.
Dave Porter was undoubtedly a very successful businesses man on the Island, but to the many people who knew him he will be remembered as a sportsman, and a legend of Island cricket.
At Shanklin, he also ran the colts section and was an ever present committee member and chairman of the club.
After retiring from playing cricket Dave spent a number of years supporting his stepson David Griffiths to progress through the Hampshire Academy and England Under-19 team and in watching him play for both Hampshire and Kent. He also enjoyed gardening and sea fishing.
More recently he became a fully qualified cricket umpire and enjoyed driving the minibus for the Shanklin team and umpiring their Hampshire League matches.
Dave is survived by his wife Libby, his three children Debbie, Matt and Nyree, plus his stepchildren David and Emma Griffiths.
There will be a celebration of Dave Porter’s life at St Paul’s Church, Regent Street, Shanklin on Thursday (February 7) at 1pm.
“Just as Dave was so bright in so many lives, we would ask all men to wear brightly coloured ties in his honour,” said cricketing brother Brian. MV
Mr Porter, a long term partner in the well established Whitehouse-Porter estate agency business in Sandown, was one of the island’s best known cricketers.
He made over 30,000 runs for the Westhill club and represented the Isle of Wight, many times as captain, throughout his long and successful career.
The Shanklin-Ventnor derbies were undoubtedly the highlight of the island cricket calendar before the coming of league cricket and Hose and Porter locked horns for summers on end.
Reflecting on those fiercely fought derby games, Hose said: “Hand on heart I can’t ever remember a word in anger with Dave, but that said and without a shadow of doubt he was the player in the Shanklin side that we all wanted out.
“He could simply change the course of a game in a matter of just a few overs. Until his wicket fell you could never rest easy !
“Dave was simply a very powerful left-hand batsman who could even dispatch a good ball to the boundary - which he did with distain to good balls in many of my overs.
“But what we had on our side at Ventnor was ‘the rug’
“I’m not so sure that David was a huge fan of the Steephill artificial pitch as Ventnor had a reasonable and pretty good front line pace attack at that time !
“After a game the battles were all forgotten about with a swift half or two in the bar.
“Every club needs a David Porter in their club. He was just immense in more ways than one and a true Legend of Shanklin cricket.
“I really can’t believe that I won’t see David around anymore but we will always remember the fun we had on the field of play.”
‘Burly left-hander’
Dave Porter had joined Shanklin after a highly promising upbringing at Westover, where the seeds of a successful cricket career (also as a slow left-arm bowler) were sown at just 12 years of age.
He soon became a regular member of the successful Westover team - the start of a career for the ‘burly left hander’ which lasted for 45 years or so.
It wasn’t long after that – Dave was just 16 years of age – when he made the first of the many centuries he was to score in his career. The knock earned Dave his first call up to play for the Island Villages XI
In his mid-20’s Dave was persuaded to join Shanklin, where he remained a member for over 40 years.
During that time he became the club’s leading all-time run scorer, amassing over 30,000 runs. He also played for and captained the Island representative team on numerous occasions.
At Carisbrooke Grammar School, Dave had excelled at all sports and he represented the Island Schools at cricket, and football, being a very competent goalkeeper.
It was whilst Dave was still at school he was introduced to Newport FC at Church Litten, signed and made his debut for them at just 15 years old – one of the youngest people to start his football career at the club.
Saints trials
He was spotted by Southampton, who invited him across for a trial and, along with another Island player, the late Chris Cheverton, went on to make a number of appearances for the Saints Youth Team, playing alongside Dell legend and later England international Mike Channon.
Dave also played some reserve team games with Swindon Town, in a side containing Ernie Hunt, Mike Summerbee and Dan Rogers, but then manager Bert Head told him he was too small to make the grade !
Football wasn’t a future Dave wanted and he gave up the sport for two years before he joined Brighstone as a centre forward. From goalkeeper to goal scorer ! He later went on to play for a number of local clubs, including Yarmouth and Shanklin.
Dave Porter was undoubtedly a very successful businesses man on the Island, but to the many people who knew him he will be remembered as a sportsman, and a legend of Island cricket.
At Shanklin, he also ran the colts section and was an ever present committee member and chairman of the club.
After retiring from playing cricket Dave spent a number of years supporting his stepson David Griffiths to progress through the Hampshire Academy and England Under-19 team and in watching him play for both Hampshire and Kent. He also enjoyed gardening and sea fishing.
More recently he became a fully qualified cricket umpire and enjoyed driving the minibus for the Shanklin team and umpiring their Hampshire League matches.
Dave is survived by his wife Libby, his three children Debbie, Matt and Nyree, plus his stepchildren David and Emma Griffiths.
There will be a celebration of Dave Porter’s life at St Paul’s Church, Regent Street, Shanklin on Thursday (February 7) at 1pm.
“Just as Dave was so bright in so many lives, we would ask all men to wear brightly coloured ties in his honour,” said cricketing brother Brian. MV
Dave Porter, a Shanklin legend. 1947-2019.
