HAMPSHIRE TO HONOUR STAN RUDDER

4,029 overs, 1,173 maidens, 535 wickets and an economy rate of just 2.53 runs per over...
This is the astonishing Southern League record of Stan Rudder, a true legend of Hampshire league cricket, who this Sunday, will bowl a ball on The Rose Bowl pitch to Royals captain, Dominic Cork, just ahead of the Hampshire Royals v Kent Spitfires CB40 match.
Now in his 75th year and unfortunately fighting a debilitating illness, Stan will leave his wheelchair to fulfil his most endearing ambition by bowling his maiden delivery at the home of Hampshire Cricket. This will be a poignant and moving act by this inspirational character who has graced the cricket grounds of the Southern League for over 50 years, strangling countless batsmen in the process with his spearing off-cutters.
Rod Bransgrove, Chairman of Hampshire Cricket said: ‘It is a real pleasure for us to be able to recognise Stan and his incredible service to cricket in our region for over half a century. As well as his performances on the field, Stan should be recognised for his devotion to the game off it, including his work to encourage thousands of youngsters to take up the game. It is people like Stan who make cricket so special and I hope that we have a great turn out on Sunday to join us in honouring such a special local character.’
Stan Rudder – A potted history
Born and bred in Barbados, he played all of his early cricket for a village club named Sussex in the south-east of the island. He was then among the many immigrants who came to the UK in the late 1950s and settled in Portsmouth, where he married and raised a family.
His younger brother,  Cleighton - a left-arm spin bowler now with United Services, Portsmouth - joined him a short while after and together they formed a formidable bowling force for EEM, an HM Dockyard side playing on the local parks pitches in Portsmouth.
Stan spent virtually all his 'working' life in the Dockyard but switched his playing allegiance in 1970 to one of the old Southern League powerhouses of the time, Havant.
He collected 4 Southern League championship medals in his time at Havant, besides being an automatic choice for the League's very successful representative sides. His career-best bowling performance was 8-13 for Havant against Waterlooville in 1977.
Stan charts his 'finest hours' in cricket in 1979 and 1980, when he played for the Southern League team which won the Club Cricket Conference Inter-League Cup and, as the Hampshire Cricket Association, won the National Inter-County Championship in consecutive seasons.
After leaving Havant, Stan went on to play Southern League cricket at Portsmouth, Cormorants, Gosport Borough and, more recently, Waterlooville.
For the past two decades Stan has been a regular in the Hampshire Seniors' cricket team, playing for both the Over-50s and Over-60s teams.  He was honoured by selection for England Over-60s against Wales last season and, in his last Seniors' appearance at Liphook in May 2010, took a wicket and then a slick slip catch before having to leave the field.
Alongside his family and church cricket is Stan's life and, since retiring from 'work' he helped out at St Edmund's RC School in Portsmouth with playground sport  and introduced many youngsters to cricket.
Until his illness took a grip, Stan was happy to play 3rd XI cricket at Waterlooville and help youngsters into the game.
He is a devoted church-goer and, some ten years ago, was appointed Church Warden at St Mary's RC Church in Portsmouth.
Stan will bowl to Hampshire captain Dominic Cork at approximately 1:30pm before the scheduled start of play at 1:45pm.