SOMERSET County Cricket Club has announced the retirement of 1st XI scorer Gerry Stickley, who is bringing to an end his 37-year association with the club.
Stickley umpired regularly for Somerset and Hampshire 2nd XI matches during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as being on the First Class umpires list for three years.
He replaced Dennis Cooke as Somerset 2nd XI scorer in 1997, and then in 1999 he took over as 1st XI scorer from David Oldam.
Stickley was scorer when Somerset claimed the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy in 2001, when they won the T20 Cup in 2005, and also in 2007, when they gained promotion back to the top flight of the County Championship.
Thanks Gerry for your loyalty and professionalism over nearly 4 decades, won’t just be missed by @SomersetCCC but by the whole county circuit https://t.co/cgu6BKHBo8
— Andrew Cornish (@AndrewCornish10) January 3, 2019
In an interview on the Somerset CCC website, Stickley said: "The main thing about scoring for me at this level is that you see the best cricket, and while I always want Somerset to win, I do enjoy the opposition if they are playing good cricket.
"You get to see the best cricket and get paid for it – what more do you want?
"I have really enjoyed my time with Somerset.
"It’s almost a family club and everybody gets along, which is important and not the case in all counties."
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