A STALWART of Lancashire’s proud cricketing heritage, Kevin Flatley, will be laid to rest this week, having died at the age of 83.

Mr Flatley, born and raised in Rishton, displayed his talents at an early age playing for Lancashire Schoolboys in 1952.

He would then go on to play for Rishton Cricket Club as an amateur between 1952 and 1969, turning out for the club 306 times, scoring 2858 runs and taking 361 wickets before turning professional with Cherry Tree CC.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Kevin Flatley 

Son Neil said: “He moved from being an amateur to a professional, Cherry Tree’s very first professional, and he did very well for them.”

He added: “Throughout his life he carried on following both of them, Rishton and Cherry Tree, and at Rishton he went on to coach the junior team, while he always had a lot of friends at Cherry Tree as well.”

One of the greatest feats of Mr Flatley’s playing days came while playing for Rishton in 1964 when the club battled to a famous and unlikely victory at that year’s Worsley Cup final over a Burnley side spearheaded by renowned West Indies fast bowler Charlie Griffith.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Charlie Griffiths

The Barbados-born star was one of the very best of his generation but had temporarily met his match when it came to Kevin Flatley’s Rishton side, who won by a margin of seven wickets.

The match would go down in Rishton folklore at once one of the highlights of Mr Flatley’s career.

Neil said: “They were black and blue by the time they came out of it, but it turned out to be a very unlikely victory.”

It was also during his play days in the 1960s that Mr Flatley first met Glenys and the pair married in 1963.

A talented all-round sportsman during much of this time he also played football for Clitheroe FC from 1955 to 1960, however cricket remained his greatest sporting passion.

As his time at Rishton ended, Mr Flatley then signed for Cherry Tree Cricket Club as a professional and would play for the club between 1970 and 1975.

During that time, he played in 122 matches, scoring 3292 runs and taking 212 wickets.

As his career on the field ended, Mr Flatley went on to coach youth players at Cherry Tree and maintained lifelong friendships at both clubs, even after retiring from day-to-day work.

Neil Flatley said: “He retired at quite a young age, 55.

“He’d done his time with the cricket by then so just enjoyed spending time with his family.”

Along with Neil, Mr Flatley was father to Rachel and spent his retirement devoted to his family and enjoying hobbies such as following horse racing and going for walks.

His wife Glenys having sadly died several years ago, Mr Flatley spent the last few years of his life in Clitheroe, his place in the county’s cricketing history assured.

Kevin Flatley will be laid to rest at a private ceremony on Friday.

The family are accepting donations to the Salvation Army in Clitheroe in Mr Flatley’s honour, to find out more go to: https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/clitheroe.