Ted is a true island legend

'IF ANYBODY deserves legendary status, it is Ted.' The words of the most capped player in Guernsey cricket history, Ralph Anthony, describing the man he calls one of his 'mentors', Ted Enevoldsen, who retired from the evening league on Wednesday.

The Salemites stalwart admitted that the now-72-year-old has had an enormous influence on his career from the day it began right up to the present.

'He played in my very first evening league match 41 years ago when we were both playing for Optimists.

'That day I got a duck batting at eight or nine and, being a youngster, I thought the world had come to an end.

'Ted and Len Martel came to me in the dressing room, put their arms around my shoulder and said, ?you will get a lot more noughts in this game, but you will also get a lot more pleasure?. I have never forgotten that.'

Anthony emphasised that so much could be learnt from 'gentleman cricketers' such as Enevoldsen.

'Ted and Ricky Mills have been, if anything, my mentors through the years and I looked to them for the way I play the game.

'Ted stands for so much of the old-school values and not everything from the past is bad.

'He has never even considered cheating in any shape or form - he has taken whatever good and bad there has been come his way.'

However, Anthony was a little worried to hear that Enevoldsen was still prepared to play weekend cricket and not retire altogether following a promise he made many years ago.

'I always said that I cannot stop playing until he stops and he has found that magic elixir,' he said, laughing.

'I hope that he still has a long weekend cricket life to come and the way he keeps himself fit, I am sure he will. He still has a nice, high action and bowls well.

'Ted is a great bloke and I have a huge amount of respect for him.'