It is with great sadness I have to announce the death of Bernie White.
Without doubt he was one of the most whole-hearted cricketers to have played for Broadstone. A left-arm medium fast bowler and left hand bat he almost guaranteed to have an impact on the game. Batting after Bernie was always fraught with difficulties due to the fact he didn’t so much take a guard from the umpire as use his Stuart Surridge jumbo to dig a trench and the same could be said about the furrow he left bowling left-arm over.
In his early days, playing for the Sunday 2nds, we were once bowled out for 24 by Pavilion Sports at Kings Park, they decided to reverse the batting order. Bernie tore in from the Pavilion end, taking 5-7 and they squeezed home by just one wicket.
He scored his first fifty for Broadstone against Wayfarers in 1977, becoming a first team regular and could relied upon to open the batting and bowling. He was no slouch in the field either, taking some magnificent catches in the gulley.
Bernie skippered the evening XI with some success, although he caused numerous Treasurers great frustration by keeping subs, match fees and tea money in a biscuit tin under the bed with scraps of paper.
No memory of Bernie would be complete without mentioning the little grey mini-van he used to drive everywhere. The number of players and their kit he could squeeze in was nothing short of miraculous.
Bernie it was a joy to play with you; have a few pints with you and share some wonderful memories with you. There will be a massive void at Charborough Road now you have gone and you will be greatly missed by all who knew you.
Jerry Richards-Chairman Broadstone CC