Cricketing personality honoured by Riccarton

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31781, 11 September 1968, Page 15

Cricketing personality honoured by Riccarton

VOR his long and efficient service to the Riccarton Cricket Club as a player and an administrator, Mr F. F. Dawson, a well known and respected cricketing personality in Christchurch, has been made a life member of the club. He is the sixth to achieve this honour. Mr Dawson has been president of the club for the last eight years and before that, a member of the committee far as long as most club players can remember. He was made a life member on his retirement from the chair at this year’s annual meeting. For two decades he has been a club delegate to the Canterbury Cricket Association and has served on the management committee for eighteen years. In addition to these duties, Mr Dawson has been a strong influence

on the Hagley Park grounds committee since he was elected to it shortly after the war. Although he only played three games for Canterbury, his club record is astounding in its length and magnitude. In all grades of cricket he

has scored 8397 runs, 4006 of these being made for the Riccarton senior team. A true picture of his scoring ability can be assessed from his seasonal figures—in 12 different seasons he topped 300 runs and in eight of these he scored more than 400. In the 1963-64 season Mr Dawson had a tremendous run of scores in the Presidents grade, compiling 851 at an average of 53.2 an innings. It is obvious that these figures are yet to be increased as the passing years do not seem to be able to i stem the flow of runs. In the ; last two seasons he has topped 400. Mr Dawson is a quiet man, I on the field and in whatever , office he may hold. Yet he is I dedicated in his actions, and . his ideals are highly res garded by all who know him.