Obituary: Sandy Ross

Sandy Ross 1948-2009

It is with immense sadness that we have to report the sudden death of Sandy Ross whilst playing cricket for Sussex Martlets at St. James Montefiore Cricket Club on Wednesday 22 July.

Sandy collapsed in the field and despite the efforts of the paramedics he did not recover. Our sympathies, support and thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

Sandy first played for the Jesters as long ago as 1989 and I’m sure you all have your own memories of him.

I had first met him the previous summer at a game in Leicestershire where his five wicket spell won the match. I can still remember his broad smile and almost schoolboy delight at the achievement. And over the years since, it’s that enthusiasm for the game and that broad smile that I remember most - whether it was scoring his first 50 for the club at Newdigate in 1990, taking three wickets in the final over to pull off a tied draw at St John’s College Cambridge, or taking a hat-trick at Chobham just three years ago as we took their last eight wickets for no runs, Sandy taking five. I last saw him at the Lord’s Test when his wave and cheery grin summed up his outlook precisely, “isn’t this exciting and isn’t it fantastic that we’re here to see it!”

The Jesters were only a small part of Sandy’s cricketing life and you may not know of his achievements elsewhere. In his time he played for Sussex 2nds, Horsham and East Grinstead, he was a playing member of the MCC managing tours to Greece, California and South America and he was recently elected onto the Membership Committee at Lord’s. He was President of the Haileybury Hermits and was last year asked to chair the Recreational Committee of the Sussex Cricket Board. His first love was the Sussex Martlets who he had played for since the mid-1960s and chaired from 2002 to 2007.

Sandy’s memorial service on 17th August was exactly as it should be, a sad, moving but also very warm occasion, full of happy memories and stories of how Sandy enjoyed life to the full. Sandy’s son Will gave a very brave tribute, to an audience of over 500 people who had turned out to commemorate their old friend.