Tribute to Walt Drodge

On New Years Day New Forest Cricket sadly lost another great stalwart of local cricket in Walt Drodge at the age of 86.

Honourary Life Member at Hythe & Dibden Walt was a popular and well respected figure in local cricket. Though Walt only spent a few years playing cricket at Hythe as an opening batsman, he did spend several years as first team umpire in the seventies when Hythe were Hampshire County 1 champions. He later moved on to Lymington but always kept in touch with how things were going at Hythe through Tony Woodhouse and his many friends at Hythe.

Over the last five years Walt has nominated a trophy to the Hythe Under 13 player of the year and only last summer it was fitting that Walt was on hand last July at the New Forest Cup Final to judge the Man of the Match award in our cup win over Milford on Sea.

Walt was always an avid supporter of New Forest cricket and was a familiar figure at the finals of the annual NFCCA cup competitions when he would often adjudicate and present man of the match awards. He was particularly keen to see the development of youth cricket in the Forest and umpired many colts matches until a bout of angina finally forced him to hang up his white coat well into his seventies.

Walt with his wife Irene often spent Saturday afternoons watching Hythe perform from their car on the boundary areas at Jones Lane.

After 61 years of marriage, wife Irene sadly died following a long illness in 2006. Walt himself was taken ill last summer, but was discharged from hospital in October before falling ill again just after Christmas and he died on New Years Day. Walt is survived by two sons, two grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and one step-greatgrandchild.

As a 14 year old I remember Walt giving me a lift home after Hythe had played at Hyde Ramblers. I had never met him before but for the whole journey we talked nothing but cricket. When I left school I was Restaurant Manager over the Master Builders and most weekends Walt and Irene would come over for Sunday Lunch. The chef use to moan at me because the orders would pile up as Walt kept me busy talking about the results at Hythe.

When I left there, during the next twenty years I guess I only bumped into Walt about once a year but he always remembered my name and even better he always asked about Hythe & Dibden Cricket Club. For someone who lived and worked in the area, but played so little for Hythe he had a great passion for our club.

Walt Drodge - A True Cricket Gentleman - God Bless

Walt (far right) with Hythe first team late seventies

Walt presenting medals to Hythe's Under 13 New Forest Cup Winners 1989 Note the chuffed skipper - a young Ben Kendrick