Born and raised in Swansea with an older sister.

A right handed batsman with a very correct technique and a good range of shots; he excelled at a push and run style designed to pressurise the fielding side and rotate strike. Originally an all-rounder bowling at a brisk medium pace his bowling was less utilised as he rose to open the batting where for some seasons he formed a formidable partnership with Stan Chisnell.  A fine fielder equally adept as a close catcher or an outfielder. Derek was one of a talented quartet of close friends along with Keith Newton, Pat Harris and Len Johnson all of whom were introduced to the Club by Harold Tozer in 1951.  Derek had met Harold when he joined the post office following his National Service.

Captain for three seasons from 1954 to 1956 he was a deep thinker about the game and a good tactician; his leadership was distinguished by his attention to detail symbolised by regularly changing fielders’ positions to keep them involved in the match and avoid complacency. He also advocated batting in partnerships so that when a wicket fell the surviving batsman, should disregard any momentum he had achieved in his own innings and take responsibility for getting the incoming batsman “off the mark” and help him to settle in.

Topped the batting averages in 1954 but his best aggregate was 681 runs (av. 24.66) in 1959 with his best score 76 v Private Banks on 05.09.1959. In that same summer he scored 66 in an opening stand of 150 with Stan Chisnell (76) v R.O.F.S.A. on 18 July which stood as the club record opening partnership for 14 years. Over his career he scored another four individual fifties. His best bowling performance 6 – 29 v. L.P.T.B on 21.06.1953 was his only five wicket analysis. Most wickets  in a season 33 (av. 7.81) in 1952.

A broken wrist early in  1957 meant he missed the remaining season when he introduced his then brother-in-law, Brian Fisher as a stand-in for three matches. Brian was subsequently, in 1960, to entice Derek to join him at Streatham Wanderers, a Surrey League side. His success continued at the higher standard and he scored the century (115), his only one, which had eluded him at Grenfell. He went on to skipper them also. However, ill health, a serious chest infection, haunted him in the late nineteen-sixties and he missed two seasons.

Thereafter he returned to Grenfell for just two matches in 1970 and 1971 but was still dogged by frail health and the resurrection of his career was ill-fated. Intriguingly, bearing in mind his notion of batting in partnerships both his innings produced fifty run partnerships; 60 with Greg Stevens at United Dairies in 1970 and, in a rerun of their successes more than a decade previously, 57 with Stan Chisnell v Tilling Stevens in 1971.

Workwise, now secretary of the South Eastern District Post Office Sports and Social Club he also became involved with the A.K.C.C. through Len Johnson and was responsible for putting together some A.K.C.C. representative teams for some high profile matches between 1969 and 1972. Utilising his Grenfell connection Stan Chisnell, Barry Vernon, Greg Stevens, Ken Angelo and Keith Finch all played at his invitation. It was when playing for one of these teams in 1970 that Greg Stevens and Stan Chisnell encountered 15 year old Kevin Laroche playing for the opposition and immediately approached him and his father, Alf, about playing for Grenfell.

However personal matters were to turn sour; he lost his position at the Post Office and following a divorce Derek began to pursue a career in umpiring. Already standing  in Surrey League matches he graduated to Surrey 2^nd XI and eventually became a first class umpire – a rare achievement  at the time as he had never played first class cricket. Although only on the register for 1979 and 1980 he continued as a career umpire and umpire coach. He would be recalled for one day matches from time to time and as late as 1991 was umpiring in the B & H one day games. In 1983 he was the stand-by umpire for India v West Indies in the World Cup match at the Oval where Greg Stevens and Dave Meggitt were delighted to bump into him as he arranged access for them to the exclusive members Pavilion and Bar.

His Wisden obituary states that as a youngster he had played football alongside the Welsh legend John Charles. That may well be correct but most of us thought this anecdote related to him playing cricket with John Charles as Derek described him as a very strong and fiery fast bowler.

Happily, Derek’s personal life improved and sadly he leaves a widow, Pat.

GRENFELL CAREER

Batting and Fielding                                                                               Bowling

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL INNINGS

76            v Private Banks                       05.09.1959

66            v  R.O.F.S.A.                            18.07.1959

54            v Moss Bros                            20.07.1958

52            v British Ropes                        21.08.1954

51*          v United Dairies                      22.08.1954

And one other fifty unidentified (1959)

FIVE WICKET INNINGS ANALYSIS

6 – 29      v. L.P.T.B.                                                21.06.1953