Final farewell to Joyce Greig

A FORMER England international cricketer and former president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) were two of the many sports personalities who attended the funeral of Joyce Greig at the Trinity Methodist Church on Friday.

Greig, 98, died on July 8 and was the mother of two Test cricketers – star England allrounder Tony, who died in 2012, and Ian, who flew in from London for the occasion. Daughters, Molly-Joy and Sally-Ann, were also present.

Sally-Ann was accompanied by her husband, Phillip Hodson, who headed the governing body of international cricket in 2012 and gave the eulogy at the funeral service.

Joyce was very proud of the accomplishments of her two sons who both represented Border, Sussex and England.

Ian, 61, played in two Tests against Pakistan in 1982 and, by coincidence, his bowling figures of 4/53 on debut were identical to Tony’s on his Test debut against Australia a decade earlier.

“I was lucky as the last wicket was off a full toss!” Ian said with a smile.

He later captained Surrey and scored a massive 291 against Lancashire in 1990, one of eight first-class centuries he scored.

“I must say that cricket has been very good to me and my family,” Ian said.

Yorkshireman Hodson played for Cambridge and made one century against Kent.

“The MCC is a unique club with 18 000 members and another 18 000 applying to join,” he said. “The ground [Lord’s] is the most highly valued piece of sports ground in the world.”

The MCC has been involved with charitable organisations, Hodson said, singling out the Foundation of Goodness in tsunami-hit Seenigama, Sri Lanka as one of their success stories. Here young cricketers are taught the game at grassroots level.

“Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are among the cricketers who are trustees for the foundation,” he explained.

During the 70s, Hodson wrote a thesis on apartheid while studying at Potchefstroom University. A keen rugby player, he played flyhalf for Western Transvaal.

With cricket having played such a huge role in her life, Sally-Ann remarked wryly: “I never thought I would ever marry a cricketer”.