Tributes to BEARS hero
Cricketer turned businessman dies aged 89
AFORMER Warwickshire cricketer turned shopkeeper who ran sports stores in Solihull for more than 30 years has died aged 89.
New Zealand-born ex-Warwickshire batsman and bowler Ray Hitchcock scored more than 12,000 runs for the Bears and was the last survivor of Edgbaston’s 1951 county championship-winning team.
He went on to open a sports outfitter shop in Poplar Road, Solihull, then moved around the corner to Station Road, before opening a second shop in Drury Lane on the other side of Solihull town centre.
Mr Hitchcock, who died peacefully in his sleep on September 8, ran Solihull Sports Service until his retirement in 1990.
Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Mr Hitchcock worked his passage to England in 1949 for a twoweek trial for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
He certainly impressed and played first class cricket for the county until 1964, scoring 12,269 runs and taking 182 wickets.
“Dad was part of the 1951 championship-winning team and he was the last survivor,” said his son Allan, who runs Hitchcock’s Motorcycles in Solihull. “During his early years he instigated the Warwickshire Pool to raise funds for improvement of Edgbaston cricket ground at a time when the club was struggling financially. This was a phenomenal success and helped the club get where they are today.
“In 1956 he opened the shop in Poplar Road, Solihull, then moved to Station Road before opening a second store in Drury Lane. Solihull Sports Service, as it was known, serviced the needs of the town until his retirement from the business in 1990.”
One of the cricketer’s other passions was horse racing.
“It started with a partial share in a horse called Fear Naught in 1978, when she won the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot,” his son added.
“From this success, Dad and his wife Anne formed Messinger Stud, where they bred many winners until his final retirement in 2017.”
Mr Hitchcock was known as a lefthanded batsman who also bowled right-arm leg spin, and played for Canterbury in New Zealand before moving to England.
He made his highest score for Warwickshire against Derbyshire in 1962 when he went to the wicket with the county struggling at 50 for four.
In response, he scored 153 not out in just under two-and-a-half hours out of a team total of 280.
His best bowling figures came in the match against a touring Scotland side in 1959 when he took seven for 76 and three for 27.