Cricket lover John Howard Dewhirst has died suddenly aged 66 while on a short break to watch Yorkshire in Scarborough.

Dewhirst, who had a life-long association with Bradford League club Undercliffe, collapsed and died at the hotel where he was staying with his friend Rodney Broadbent.

Undercliffe secretary Broadbent said: “We were sitting at the dinner table at the Mount Hotel and had just heard that Undercliffe had beaten Farsley.

“John was in good form and was really chuffed because Farsley were unbeaten before Saturday. We then sat in the lounge and he collapsed and died.

“We had been at Scarborough since the previous Wednesday. We also went to watch Yorkshire play Somerset at Taunton a fortnight ago.

“His death is a big loss to the club because he did so much without any fuss. He was 100 per cent committed to Undercliffe and was one of the few supporters who followed the team home and away.

“He enjoyed watching cricket at Scarborough and became a member of the club.”

Dewhirst, a retired insurance broker in Bradford, had been a member of the Undercliffe committee since 1965. He was assistant treasurer for many years, president in 2000 and bar chairman.

A keen supporter of junior cricket, he was a life vice-president of the Bradford Junior League, treasurer and later secretary. He was also a Bradford League umpire for four years during the 1980s.

He also enjoyed amateur operatics and at one time was president of Bolton St James Amateur Operatic Society Players and officials from both sides observed a minute’s silence in Dewhirst’s memory before the Dyson Twenty/20 Cup match between Bradford & Bingley and Undercliffe.