David is a Kiwi, member of LNZCC, and lawyer of more then 20 years experience in Hong Kong. He now spends six months each year in the UK and six months here in Arrowtown.
The Dormer-Melluish-Aldridge Cricket Scholarship promises to provide wonderful opportunities for young cricketers between our countries. The Scholarships are named after three people whose inspiration and support lie behind their creation: Mike Dormer, who founded The Willows and whom I knew all too briefly; my father-in-law Michael Melluish OBE, who was President of MCC in 1992 and Chairman of the Arundel Castle Cricket Foundation (ACCF) from 2003 to 2011; and Sir Rod Aldridge, founder of the Aldridge Academies (https://aldridgeeducation.org, www.baca-uk.org.uk and www.aldridgefoundation.com). These three never met, but they share a passion for the character-building qualities of cricket and a desire to use the game to provide opportunities to those who might not otherwise have them.
Background
Inspired by my late father-in-law Michael Melluish, I wanted to explore whether young New Zealand cricketers could be found who would want to spend the English summer working with the ACCF and playing cricket at Arundel Castle and elsewhere in West Sussex, which is a lovely part of England. Arundel Castle has a special place in NZ cricket folklore as it was traditionally the venue for a NZ touring team’s opening fixture. In March 2021, on the advice of Martin Snedden, former NZ Cricket Chairman, I contacted Ben Dormer about the young cricketer idea. In no time Ben arranged for me to meet his father Mike. The meeting with Mike was a wonderfully rich and wide-ranging discussion of people, places and issues all linked by cricket. Mike’s passion and beliefs were strong reminders of those of Michael Melluish. Both men were of similar build, had been wicketkeepers, were fine raconteurs and were keen to connect like-minded people. Mike Dormer was very taken by the idea that The Willows should send young cricketers to Arundel Castle.
The day after the meeting, Winsome and Mike took us to see The Willows and its treasure trove pavilion, in which there is a photo of Colin Cowdrey tossing the coin with John Reid, captain of NZ in its first game of the 1964 tour at Arundel Castle. That photo appeared to reinforce the serendipity of finding The Willows and contemplating a lasting partnership between The Willows and Arundel Castle. Very sadly Mike passed away three weeks after our meeting and the creation of this cricket scholarship exchange programme was one of his last wishes.
The Willows has been keen also to reciprocate and offer cricketing and other experiences in Canterbury, NZ, to cricketers sent by Arundel Castle Cricket. To this end, Arundel Castle Cricket is partnering with Sir Rod Aldridge’s cricket academy for the purpose of selecting the Arundel Castle Cricket Scholars. The cost of their travel to NZ will be kindly covered by Sir Rod, whose philosophy of character-building through cricket and supporting the development of cricket through schools, especially state schools, matches the beliefs of Mike Dormer and Michael Melluish.
Scholars will comprise a young woman as well as a young man, recognising the importance of contributing to the growth of the women’s game in both countries. There is strength in diversity and it is also hoped that over the years the programme will provide opportunities to young cricketers from a range of ethnicities.
A great deal of effort has gone into making the idea discussed with Mike Dormer early in 2021 become a reality, despite all the uncertainty surrounding international travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. My sincere appreciation and thanks for all that effort and for the universal enthusiasm with which The Willows, Arundel Castle Cricket (including the Foundation) and the Aldridge Cricket Academy have greeted the programme and worked to make this idea a reality. It will be a fitting part of the legacies of Mike Dormer, Michael Melluish and Rod Aldridge for many years to come.