David Ward was Surrey born and raised attacking right-hand batsman who made his mark from the off when scoring 143 on his first-class debut for the county against Derbyshire in 1985. He took a while to establish himself in the side, but in 1990 scored more than 2000 runs,although lean seasons followed and in 1992 and 1993 he again was unable to secure a regular first-team place. In the one-day game his powerful hitting was an asset, and on occasions he kept wicket in Alec Stewart's absence. In 1994 he made his career best 294 not out, robbed of a triple century by a declaration. His outings became fewer and he retired in 1996 after making just two appearances that summer. He continued to play minor county cricket for Hertfordshire, latterly as captain, and in 2002 made a remarkable comeback for Surrey. Weakened by other commitments, Surrey were woefully short for their Sunday League match against Northants at Whitgift School, where Ward was cricket coach. He was persuaded to play, and aged 41, he opened the innings and hammered 78 in 52 balls. He was prolific for Hertfordshire, scoring a remarkable 6317 runs at 53.53 in his 12-year career, and was a thoughtful and encouraging mentor to the young players. Ward was a popular figure at The Oval, always willing to coach youngsters and chat to members, and he remained heavily involved in the game as a coach (see above) as well as playing for Old Whitgiftians.
Martin Williamson