TO THE ear of a discerning cricket follower there are few sweeter sounds than the ringing note of willow clipping leather, yet a similarly perfect tone was achieved for Tuesday’s thanksgiving service to commemorate the life of one such lover of the game, Kent’s Don Beney.

Held at St Dunstan’s Church, Canterbury, the service, conducted by the Rev Maurice Worgan, celebrated the life, work and family values of Mr Beney, a former Kent County Cricket Club president and life-long supporter who died at his home in West Wickham on July 18.

A willing and dedicated cricket administrator, loyal friend and fund-raiser to county players and the head of a loving family, Mr Beney’s innings of 90 years received a warm round of applause from a congregation that included numerous county players and two former Kent and England captains.

Former business colleague and close friend Douglas Cook-Martin from Sussex recalled Mr Beney’s skills as an amateur meteorologist, as the most generous of party hosts, whom he described as his: "Only truly best friend and a thoroughly English gentleman."

He spoke of their friendship, their visits to games in Hastings, Hove and Tunbridge Wells and their moving trip to the Normandy beaches in 1994, where Mr Beney spent a quiet, tearful moment at the precise spot on the beach where he had landed 50 years earlier.

Mr Cook-Martin said: "I want to pay tribute to Don’s courage and cheerfulness in the face of adversity.

"Whenever we visited Don and Pam in recent times Don put on a brave and resolute face, his spirit never deserted him, and that made such an impression on me.

"We always ended our telephone conversations with B.I.T, be in touch, and we meant it."

There were readings from Mr Beney’s son Robert, Deidre Wheeler, and a tribute by former Kent and England bowler Derek Underwood.

"Don took me under his wing early on, I guess he had a soft spot for me, perhaps because I lived only three miles from him and also played my cricket at Beckenham," said Mr Underwood.

"Uncle Don, as he was known, was the players’ friend, he worked tirelessly for the beneficiaries of Kent but never did push himself on to players and rarely did he mention cricket to us.

"His golf days were run meticulously and I remember playing in his last event down in Deal.

"He asked me 'what’s your handicap?' to which I said 17, he said 'no you’re not, you’re off 15. You won a prize at Chislehurst last year'.

"There was a glint in his eye, a twist of the moustache and that smile you are all so familiar with to follow."

In his sermon Rev Worgan used the prop of a cricket bat from the pulpit to demonstrate Mr Beney’s love for the game and for his family.

Rev Worgan said he had searched painstakingly to find an appropriate quote that might sum up Mr Beney’s life and had eventually found one in Mr Beney’s own speech following the Deal golf day of August 2003 described earlier in Derek Underwood’s eulogy.

Rev Worgan said: "Don said: 'It’s been a lot of fun. There is a certain amount of work involved; I just hope that everybody enjoyed it as much as me. What else can I say other than I love you all'."

After the service, Mr Beney’s ashes were placed and dedicated on the outfield of the St Lawrence ground by Kent Supporters’ Club member and Kent Cricket Club pastor, Cannon Chris Byers.

The ceremony was held in front of the Kent committee room from where Mr Beney watched much of his cricket and next to the Colin Cowdrey Stand, which was built following Mr Beney’s fund-raising work, and from where his family and friends later toasted his life, work, friendship and love.

Donations in Mr Beney’s memory in favour of the Kent Youth Appeal 2005 are being administered by J & R Killick Ltd, 112 High Street, West Wickham, Kent BR4 0ND.