TED DEXTER’S FUNERAL

It is somewhat ironic that Ted Dexter, who was born on the Ligurian coast, raised in an elegant flat in the Piazza Repubblica in Milan – his father holding the Lloyd’s brokerage for Italy – and who settled happily in Nice and could be described as a lover of the seas – especially the Med – should finish his days in Wolverhampton.

And it was to the St Peter’s church there that I went for his funeral service. This was apt as Christianity was very much a feature of Ted’s life. In Nice he was treasurer of the English church.

The eulogy was delivered by Mark Nicholas and a very polished one it was too.

He read from a email from Joe Root.

Ted had advised him to adopt a more sideways stance, with his feet not pointing down the wicket, and the England skipper took his advice and attributed his run-fest to this.

Although Ted may have had a classical stance he was not a classical thinker.

He was the first to appreciate the fundamentals of the limited-over game, winning the first two Gillette cups for Sussex.

His Test average was 47 but surprisingly he only scored 9 Test centuries.

Sadly there are few of his contemporaries living.

Robin Marler was there from Sussex and various stalwarts of Warwickshire cricket – David Brown and Dennis Amiss being two-and Ossie Wheatley of Glamorgan.

After the service we repaired for a buffet lunch at Wolverhampton cricket club. I was surprised that there were so few from the great and good of the cricketing world besides Sir Tim Rice and Ed Smith but a memorial service at Lords is planned.

I am not one for hanging around too long at any funeral reception. Also I had a long train journey ahead of me to Euston and thence Brighton, so at 3.00pm I made my excuses and left.