Cricket league mourns sudden passing of Arnside sporting icon

The keystone and icon of the Arnside club, ‘Shep’ was universally liked and respected by all in equal measure. He will be missed in equal measure.

Of Arnside stock, his dad Doug was a footballer, but cricket was Kenny’s calling. He first played as a young teenager in 1967. First team cricket arrived in 1972 and by 1973 he was on the general committee where he remained for the next 50 years.

As a player he developed into an obdurate opening batsman whose main aim was to get the shine off the ball for others to then capitalise. He didn’t so much score runs as nurdle them through the leg side. It was job done with a 20 or 30 to his name.

His top score of 62 came in 1982 against Staveley. Kenny himself considered his 34 in the 1983 League Knockout Final which set up a win as his most telling innings going in as he did that day with the Arnside score on 37 for 4.

In the field he was a motivator and a specialist slipper. He took many fine catches, three out of the first four wickets on one occasion.

There is no doubting his finest hour came in 1986. As captain he oversaw Arnside CC win the league championship for the first time in their history. It was a jewelled moment after a 93 year wait and it became the touchstone that inspired later achievements.

Shep captained the team for 13 years in three spells - that stat alone speaks volumes. A year or two at the helm Is quite sufficient for most people.

In those 50 years as a committee man Kenny worked tirelessly alongside many other givers to lift the status and prestige of the Arnside club. He himself became regarded as Mr Arnside Cricket Club.

The baking hot summer of 1976 saw him join the ground staff and present the club with the Kenny Shepherd Cup to be awarded to the Player of the Year on a strict points basis which in turn encouraged commitment.

In 1980 Kenny literally cemented his place in the club’s folklore. A new self developed pavilion was erected alongside the 1974 tearoom. Shep personally laid all 15,000 bricks with other club members contributing their artisan skills.

So much time has he spent at the playing field ground since those heady days it is said his mail was redirected to the clubhouse room named after him. The fact that the Arnside arena is regarded as one of the best in the league and one of the prettiest in the country made him so proud.

When his playing days were over he rejoiced in the successes of the next generation on his cherished turf. The league itself has benefited from Shep’s pride and passion.

Kenny called time on his first team career in 1993 largely to make way for a crop of outstanding young players coming through the ranks as a cohort.

The time he then naturally gave to the second team was typical of the man. A nagging hip problem contributed to him finally calling it a day.

Unique is comfortably the best word to describe Kenny Shepherd. He was an institution at the cricket club and in Arnside village a whole. His legend will never die.

There will never be another Kenny Shepherd but at this truly tragic time the thoughts of all cricketers will be focused on his wife Carol and his two sons Michael and Robert, both of whom are Arnside players. Naturally.

RIP Shep. You will be sorely missed but talked about forever.