With the death of Bill Poulter earlier this month, just a few weeks before his 90th birthday, local cricket, and the I'Anson Cup in particular, has lost one of the finest batsmen of the twentieth century.

Considering that many of what should have been his best years were lost to the Second World War, Poulter still ranks among the all-time high scorers in the 100-year history of the I'Anson Cup.

In an appreciation given at Bill Poulter's funeral service in St Peter's Church, Wrecclesham, on Wednesday last week, the I'Anson Cup secretary, Graham Collyer, turned to A Cup for Cricket, the history of the first half-century of the league written by L. T. Pope in 1951. He said:

"Theo Pope said of Bill: 'He was the most prolific and consistent scorer the I'Anson Cup Competition has seen in its first 50 years. When it comes to run-making, there is a touch of Bradman about him. He reaches 50 and settles down for the 100. He has made more centuries in the competition than any other player, and had time permitted (matches finished earlier in those days) doubtless he would have compiled even higher scores'."

Graham Collyer continued: "The records show that Bill scored five centuries between 1935 and 1950 when the first 50 years of the competition was completed. He made another in 1951, and Theo Pope's evaluation of Bill the batsman is underlined by the fact that in the next 40 years, until the old-style I'Anson Cup Competition ceased to exist, only one player (Eddie Gulliver, of Grayshott) bettered the total number of league centuries Bill scored. What has to be remembered, of course, is that as the 20th century progressed so did the state of groundsmanship, with the result that players in the sixties, seventies and eighties played on superior pitches.

"To return to Theo Pope's assessment in A Cup for Cricket: 'He has an air of assurance at the wicket all his own and hits the ball very hard. Even his defensive strokes are made forcefully. In his best form he can completely demoralise a fielding side with the rate of his scoring. The better the bowling the better he plays. His technique is sound, he has a stroke for every ball, and he picks the right ball to hit. If the situation demands it, he can play a defensive innings as well as anyone, and is at his best in a tight corner. His bat looks to fieldsmen to be as broad as a barn door, and when, rarely, he chances to send a catch in their direction the ball is travelling so hard that seldom can they hold it'.

"Bill's first century came in 1935 against Churt when he made an undefeated 115. He was aged 23 and in that summer he went to The Oval for a trial and scored 81 not out. That single fact demonstrates the class of the player. There is no doubt that he could have played county cricket, and a few years ago he told me that if he had been 20 and not 23 in 1935 he might have joined the Surrey club.

"His next I'Anson Cup century was scored in 1938, against Rowledge, and there was a third in 1940, his highest score of 127, made against Grayshott. Bill was captain of The Bourne in both 1939 and 1940 and led the side to the title both times. Then the war intervened and for most men the close of play lasted for five years. But not for Bill. He joined the RAF and became a PT instructor and played cricket and football on a regular basis. One of his COs was Douglas Bader.

"So, when the I'Anson Cup resumed in 1946, Bill was ready to carry on as before. He scored a century in the first match of the season, against Whitehill, and at the end of the season lifted the cup again. In 1947 The Bourne met stiff opposition from the old enemy, Rowledge, and having lost to them in the final league match of the season, when he was twice forced to leave the field with injuries, the two sides met in a deciding play-off match which Rowledge won.

"Bill stepped down as captain in 1948, the year when he scored his fifth century, again against Grayshott, and missed the 1949 season after an accident at work had robbed him of the sight in one eye. This, to a lesser man, might have signalled the end of a cricket career. But not Bill. He came back as captain in 1950 and took The Bourne to another title. The following season, he scored his sixth century up on the windswept ground at Binsted in April.

"Some things had to change, of course. He no longer kept wicket. Theo Pope had said there had been few better wicketkeepers to any type of bowling. He was quite fearless. But he added that he could also field with distinction in any position. In 1953 Bill thoroughly endorsed this observation when he held five catches while fielding at silly mid-off (how many players with sight in only one eye would field at silly mid-off?) to the bowling of John Stonard who took nine wickets in the innings.

"From 1954 to 1957 Bill transferred his allegiance to Wrecclesham, who were new to the I'Anson Cup, and he worked his magic to bring that club the cup, for what is still the only time, in 1956.

"As the years rolled on Bill returned to his roots (he was born in a cottage near the Fox public house), and assisted The Bourne until 1970 when he led the second XI to the Miller Cup title, and then retired.

"It was not the end of the family's playing connections with The Bourne, of course, because Bill's son Michael and later grandsons Gary and Neil continued to play for the club which has now had a Poulter in the team through nine decades."

In conclusion, Graham Collyer recalled the words of the late John Tanner, another great cricketer from The Bourne: "Many young players, myself in particular, and not just players from The Bourne, moulded their cricket on Bill Poulter. His captaincy was general-like, his ability in village cricket second to none."