Tributes from cricketers who were part of Yorkshire's championship-winning side of 40 years ago poured in today following the death over the weekend of former captain Ronnie Burnet at the age of 80.

Burnet, who lived at Pateley Bridge, was already 39 when he took over a troubled Yorkshire side from Billy Sutcliffe in 1958 and, after a difficult first season, he led them to the championship the following year before being replaced by Vic Wilson.

Yorkshire's last amateur captain, Burnet also led Baildon to honours in the Bradford League in the early 1950s and he was also an outstanding leader of York-shire's Second XI, the team winning the Minor Counties Championship under his command in 1957.

A disciplinarian who quickly gained the confidence and res-pect of his team-mates, Burnet maintained a close involvement with Yorkshire once his playing days were over.

He served on the committee as a Bradford representative from 1960-69 and for Harrogate district from 1978-83.

In his final years on the committee, he was chairman of cricket and was closely involved in the Geoff Boycott controversy which racked the club and resulted in the downfall of the committee, with Burnet losing his seat in 1984 to Roy Ickringill.

Former Yorkshire and England captain Brian Close, who did much to assist Burnet in winning the 1959 championship, said: "Ronnie put his heart and soul into Yorkshire cricket, which was his life. He did an excellent job and was always a great encouragement to the younger lads who played under his captaincy.

"He was great company and I always enjoyed meeting him. I shall miss him very much."

Yorkshire coach Doug Padgett, the county's leading batsman in 1959 with 1,807 runs, said: "Ronnie turned the side round when he became captain. Every-one respected him and he had the ability to get the best out of his players, who would go through hell and high water for him.

"He took over in troubled times, but he stood no nonsense and sorted things out. He did not pretend to be a first-class player himself, but turned us into a side which won seven championships and two Gillette Cup finals over a ten-year period."

Cricket chairman Bob Platt, who shared the opening attack with Fred Trueman in Burnet's 1959 side, said: "Like so many others of my generation, I started off under Ronnie in the second team and I greatly admired and respected him.

"He was an outstanding man for Yorkshire CCC and he was always ready to give advice right to the end. He was a strong leader and the man responsible for moulding most of the players who went on to win the championship so often."

Burnet was president of the Bradford League from 1959-69 and a few years ago he was awarded the OBE for his services as chairman of the York-shire and Humberside Council for Sport and Recreation.

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