Sir, – On July 30 I attended Bill Wintergill's funeral along with a dwindling number of contemporaries who had the privilege of playing cricket with Bill when he was in his prime.

Inevitably much of the conversation centred around cricketing memories and I was struck with the realisation that, whilst our memories were fresh and vivid, we were talking of events some of which took place nearly 70 years go and no-one under the age of 65 can have an conception of Bill's enormous talent. Like everything else, cricket changes but cricketers do not necessarily get any better and Bill would be as predominant today as he was in the decades following the Second World War.

Bill was a vastly talented cricketer who chose to play his cricket locally although he was clearly capable of playing at a higher level had he so wished. From 1947 until 1955 he played for Newton-le-Willows in the Wensleydale League and from 1956 until 1968 for Newton Ramblers in the Vale of Mowbray League. Fortunately statistics for most of this period (except 1962/1963) are available and confirm the following staggering achievements.

During the Newton-le-Willows period Bill took 834 wickets at an average of 5.01 and made 3,966 runs at an average of 20.34. Bearing in mind that village wickets were in those days so highly in favour of the bowler that it was rare for an entire team to top 100 in a game these batting figures are hugely impressive.

For Newton Ramblers, Bill took 642 wickets at an average of 7.76 and scored 4,415 runs (plus those scored in 1962/63) at an average of 24.63 giving him a total haul for the Newton clubs of 9,000 plus runs and 1,477 wickets. As over the 20 years the number of runs his bowling conceded was virtually identical to the number of runs he scored it could be said that his 1,477 wickets were obtained at nil cost.

These stunning figures were achieved despite the fact that for most of his career he was hampered by a serious knee injury which kept him in constant pain.

For upwards of 20 years Bill played cricket competitively but with a smile on his face and totally without malice or envy and he will and should be remembered by everyone who played with or against him or has even heard his name as a local cricketing colossus. Long may his memories survive.

Mike Reaks, Wensley