GEOFF Holmes, a staunch follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Bradford League cricket, has died aged 91.

Mr Holmes, who lived at Idle and had a long association with Idle Cricket Club, was an avid reader of the Telegraph & Argus and a regular contributor on a variety of subjects to their letters page.

In 2008, Mr Holmes, along with Vivien Stone, of Horsforth, were among the first recipients of Yorkshire County Cricket Club's President's Medal, which is awarded for outstanding service to the club.

In 1998, they took over the running of the second-hand bookstall at Headingley, with proceeds going through the John Featherstone Memorial Foundation to various branches of youth cricket, including the Yorkshire Schools' Cricket Association and the Joe Lumb Competition.

By the time they received their award, they had raised £66,000, and that figure has now risen to £111,175, not including last season's takings.

For example in 2007, they raised £8,800, £3,000 of which went to the Yorkshire Schools' Cricket Association, £2,500 to Yorkshire under-16s' tour of Jersey that summer, £1,300 to the Yorkshire Pride appeal and £500 each to batsmen Joe Sayers and Andrew Gale towards the cost of their visits to coaching centres in South Africa and India respectively.

The other recipient in that inaugural year of the President's Medal was Mollie Staines, the first woman to serve on the county club's committee.

Mr Holmes was made a life member of the Yorkshire County Cricket Supporters' Association after serving as their chairman for several years.

Idle CC's Andy Robinson said: "Geoff was a member of our fields committee for 20-odd years until he stood down a few years ago, gave a speech at our club's centenary and used to ring in the scores to various media organisations."

A widower, Mr Holmes leaves a son and a daughter, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

His funeral service will be at Rawdon Crematorium on Friday at 11am.