RE YOUR memory of cricket by Paul C Ayres, he mentions the goalkeeper Brian Stevens who also played a few games with Southampton FC; in itself no mean feat.

I met Brian Stevens as a cricketer just a few times in the late 1950s when he played for an Andover XI, when myself and a friend, Brian Hunt, would do the scoring.

We were down at Southampton one Saturday when Brian, known as a hard hitter, managed to strike the ball so hard that it went into the distant greyhound / speedway track, so we were unable to retrieve it.

If ever I met a man who loved his sport it was him.

I remember him as lively and happy go lucky.

It was with great sadness that I learned long ago that he died not very old after collapsing, where else but on an Andover cricket ground.

On a lighter note a Mr Parfitt told me that at a cricket game in Andover the batsman was given out but disputed the fact.

The umpire then advised him to look in the Advertiser on Friday to see if he was out or not. Full score sheets were printed in those days.

Derek Weeks, Martin Way, Andover