Kent County Cricket Club has today announced that Jack Foley, the Club’s Honorary Scorer has retired from the position he has held since 1987.

Jack has been the longest current serving scorer in County cricket for some time.  It is a remarkable fact that in 53 years between 1959 and 2011 Kent have only had two official scorers (Claude Lewis and Jack who shared the duties for a few years) and only eight since 1874.

Kent Cricket has awarded Jack an Honorary Life Membership in recognition of his long service.  This is an award rarely made as he becomes only the 14thcurrent holder.

On announcing this, Club Chairman George Kennedy said; “Jack’s voluntary service to the Club has been quite extraordinary.  I am delighted that he will become an Honorary Life Member; it is no less than he deserves.  Jack has set the highest possible standards and he has served the Club wonderfully for 25 seasons.”

Jack Foley commented; “I have loved every minute, experienced many changes of competitions, rules, Duckworth Lewis and computer scoring, worked with many great players and captains.  It is a great privilege to be made an Honorary Life Member and I would like to thank the Club.  I shall remain a very close observer of Kent’s fortunes in the future.”

Despite computerised scoring, something which Jack adapted to with ease, he has maintained the county’s long run of manually completed scorebooks, something generations of future statisticians will be truly grateful for.

Howard Milton, the Club’s Honorary Statistician said “It is a moment that I have almost dreaded. Jack has been absolutely vital in keeping the county’s records as accurately as possible. In so far as anyone is indispensable, I would say Jack is. For, in the precision and accuracy of his record-keeping both as day-to-day scorer and maintaining the data that follows thereafter, Jack has no equal.”

Kent’s Scorers since 1874

1874- 1896                  J Crow

1897- 1924                  W Hearne

1925-1939                   A Hearne

1946                            GD Fenner

1947-1955                   ERS Hoskin

1956-1958                   W Handsford

1959-1988                   C Lewis

1987-2011                   JC Foley

Kent’s Honorary Life Members:

HRH The Duke Edinburgh,

KG HRH The Duke of Kent,

KG D G Clark,

DL M H Denness

P H Edgley

J C Foley

N Héroys, MA, FCA

D S Kemp, MA

The Rt Hon Lord Kingsdown, KG

A P E Knott

A Levick

C F Openshaw

D G Ufton

D L Underwood, MBE