New secretary for Hampshire Cricket League following retirement of ‘immense’ Anne Craft

Anne Craft, left, and her successor as Hampshire Cricket League secretary Anne Carter

The octogenarian announced her retirement at the league’s annual meeting and will hand the secretarial reins over to Anne Carter, who plays in the women’s league for Langley Manor.

Mrs Craft, who took up her secretarial role in 2001, has been elected a life vice-president of the Hampshire League, with her outstanding service to be formally recognised at the awards presentations in November.

Until recently, the Hampshire League was the largest recreational weekend cricket competition of its kind in the country, with over 300 teams participating.

It has since been narrowly gazumped in size by the neighbouring Sussex league.

Apart from dealing with the results and finances, Anne Craft was involved in every aspect of the league management.

‘It was a colossal undertaking, but one she handled with extreme care and efficiency for almost 20 years,” praised HCL chairman Denis Emery.

‘Organising the league’s annual end-of-season award presentation dinner functions with precision was just one of many tasks Anne undertook, never mind dealing with the needs of over 300 teams throughout the summer months.

‘Her service to Hampshire cricket has been immense and I cannot thank her enough for everything she has done for the past 19 years.’

Cricket has been imbedded in Anne Craft’s life; her late husband Bill was a stylish left-hand batsman for Lymington and her two sons, Charlie and Ben, good cricketers schooled at King Edward VI in Southampton.

A tall imposing all-rounder, Ben played throughout the Hampshire junior age groups and was a hard-hitting batsman at Lymington.

Anne spent a spell as secretary at Lymington, running the club’s colts teams while her sons were playing.

She then sowed the seeds for not only women’s cricket in the town but also the formation – in 2006 – of the Women’s Division of the Hampshire League, which this summer will have 19 clubs.

She also ran the New Forest CA Junior Cricket Association for over 20 years.

Anne Carter, who hails from Yorkshire, remarked: ‘I can proudly say I started my cricketing career at Headingley, with my grandfather, brother and a blue plastic bat - until the groundsman asked us to leave the outfield!

‘This was followed by a long interregnum during which I pursued my career.

‘Then five years ago, against my will - cricket was like watching paint dry - I was persuaded to join in with the Women’s W10, became hooked and I have played league cricket ever since. I now play for Langley Manor.’