Steve calls time on cricket career – after 73 consecutive seasons on field

The Walberton v Littlehampton match was his last after a long, long career as a player and umpire.

He was joined by son Richard, who plays, and daughter Jane Fulton and wife Christine, both tea ladies at Walberton CC, for the occasion.

From 1949 to 1972 Steve played for Clymping CC, serving as captain,vice captain, honorary secretary and honorary treasurer. From 1973 to 1988 Steve played for Clapham & Patching CC and was chairman, vice chairman, captain, vice captain and fixture secretary.

And from 1989 to 2022 he has been at Walberton, playing until 1997 before becoming club umpire. He has been honorary secretary and fixture secretary before becoming club president in 2019.

In his 48-year playing career he made more than 1,000 appearances, scoring almost 10,000 runs and taking more than 2,500 wickets. He has officiated in nearly 400 matches as umpire.

Steve said: “I’ve no regrets but would have loved to have scored a century! Huge thanks go to Christine, my wife of 55 years, who never once asked me not to play or officiate.

”It all started on FA Cup Final day 1949 when my elder brother Kenneth, captaining Clymping against Littlehampton Police, was a player. He pulled me away from preparing to listen to the Cup final on the BBC Light programme and it all started for me at the age of 10. I batted at 11, made 1 not out off the last ball before tea, then fielded at third man.”