BRIAN SEXTON
The perfect gentleman and a true sportsman in every sense!
Hythe & Dibden Cricket Club pay respect to the sad death of Brian Sexton.
Brian was a top figure in the success of our club back in the 70's before he moved out of the area and settled down to live in Wimbourne, Dorset.
Brian a londener, joined Hythe & Dibden Cricket Club in 1969. He soon became a first team regular demonstrating his all rounder tag in every sense of the word.
As a batsman he was generally a slow starter but when he got going the runs flowed. One weekend in 1977 Brian scored two centuries in successive days a performance that club stalwart Phil Pick described as the biggest achievement he had seen during his thirty years playing for the club.
As a swing bowler if the conditions were right he knew how to exploit the opposing batsman, and as a cover point fielder he moved with the speed of a county player.
Brian along with George Knights were the biggest influences in Hythe winning their first trophy in 1972 when they won the Alderman Stone Cup. In the same year they the got to the semi finals of the Echo Trophy.
In 1974 Hythe got to two more semi finals and in 1975 when Phil Pick stepped a side and Brian took over the captaincy. He guided Hythe to third place in Hampshire County 1 with Brian along with Knights and Terry Rawlins instrumental in the clubs achievements.
In 1976 Brian led Hythe to their finest trophy as they finished as Hampshire County 1 Champions. He followed that up by taking Hythe to the Sydney Wyatt Cup Final in 1977 but with the news that Hythe would be in the Southern League from 1978 Brian stepped down to hand over the reigns to Brian Buck.
Brian continued to play for another season before an illness limited his availability but what an asset the man had been to our club over ten years topping both the Hampshire League batting and bowling averages for the green caps.
He regularly represented the New Forest Cricket Association and the Southern League in representative matches.
When the family moved to Wimborne, Brian joined the town club and became a key member of the Dorset Over-50 side, taking over 60 wickets for the county seniors. Club Chairman, John Ridout recalls “he was a guy you always wanted in your side.” The ‘wily old fox’, as he was known, had lost a few yards in pace from his Southern League days but he never lost the late away swing which caused batsmen and slips so many problems. “He was the person you got bowling when you needed a wicket.” Ridout also recalls one particular Saturday when he was nabbed by Wimborne 1st XI for a Dorset Premier league match at short notice. “Not wanting to let anyone down he went to Sherborne and turned the match around.” Facing defeat, Wimborne threw the ball to Brian, who promptly took five wickets in five overs to snatch an unlikely victory.
He later returned to Jones Lane whilst watching his two sons play cricket for Bashley Rydal and our deepest sympathies are extended to his wife, Christine, and sons Andy and Neil.
Brain was also a top local footballer, he began playing wing half for Blackfield & Langley, before moving to Cowes in the Hampshire League. On Sundays, Brian played for Totton Wanderers, who dominated the Southampton Sunday soccer scene for many years.
Brian was also no mean golfer and a handy performer on the badminton court, but, more recently, took up bowls. It didn’t take him long to master the woods – last summer he was a prominent member of the Wimborne team which celebrated a Dorset Premier League and Cup double!
A fitting description of Brian Sexton: footballer, cricketer, golfer and lawn bowler, who died last weekend, aged 61, after a courageous summer-long battle against cancer was given by Mike Vimpany when he said
' Brian excelled at every sport he turned his hands and feet to – and played every game the way it should be played . . . . fairly '.
St Catherine’s Church in Wimborne on Monday September 4th was packed as local footballers, cricketers, golfers and lawn bowlers celebrated the life of Brian Sexton. A perfect gentleman and a true sportsman in every sense . . . . . .
Brian Sexton who sadly died on Saturday 26th August 2006 aged 61.
' A True Hythe Legend '