The end of an innings – Chris Cloete laid to rest
“IT doesn’t matter who wins a game of cricket. At the end of the day, cricket wins all cricket matches…”
Christopher Lawrence Cloete
September 6, 1940 – September 7, 2016
“IT doesn’t matter who wins a game of cricket. At the end of the day, cricket wins all cricket matches…”
The monumental impact that Chris Cloete had on the lives of aspiring young cricketers in Vryheid resounds through the memories of those who encountered him in words such as these.
“Chris always had a passion for cricket,” recalls Louwtjie Joubert, who first met Chris Cloete in the 1980s and has never forgotten the advice and mentorship he was given by the Honorary Life Member of Vryheid Cricket Club. “His biggest passion was a respect for the game and its traditions.”
Born in 1940, Christopher Lawrence Cloete was known throughout Northern Natal for his dedication to the game and those traditions and his burning passion for the true values of the ‘gentlemen’s sport’ is a flame that will burn brightly as long as those values are upheld by cricketers who follow in his footsteps.
In the mid-1960s, Cloete, along with Dr Joe Harle, laid what would be the initial foundation of the pitch at Vryheid Cricket Club, recruiting the enthusiastic young cricketers of the day, who dug out anthills to build it.
The club progressed over the years and a new pitch was laid, which has served generations of cricketers ever since. As Chairman, Cloete was instrumental in the club’s development and, in the very early 1980s, a decision was made to build a clubhouse. Once again, the cricketers played a hand in the construction of the building, which lasted a decade before being demolished and subsequently replaced by a newer, more suitable establishment to fit the needs of the growing club.
“We all have to thank Chris Cloete for cricket in Vryheid,” says Louwtjie Joubert, who was recently appointed as the official coach and mentor of the Afrimat Gladiators. “Without Chris, we wouldn’t have a cricket field or any of this…”
“Everyone who cares about cricket will try to uphold the standard that Chris set,” stated current Chairman of Vryheid Cricket Club, Gary High. “Chris had an aura. When he spoke, people listened. I only wish I’d known him longer…”
Chris Cloete passed away on September 7, the day after he turned 76, and a memorial service was held on Monday to commemorate our own local cricketing legend whose legacy will live on and whose words of wisdom will continue to echo through the halls of Vryheid Cricket Club, past, present and future.
“Rest in peace, Uncle Chris,” read the heartfelt message from Martin Slabbert, a fellow local cricketing great. “Heaven is a whole lot richer with you there, good man.”
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