A farewell to John 'Gritty' Ashworth

It is with very significant sadness and regret that one of Hong Kong's finest Sunday League cricketing captains - John 'Gritty' Ashworth - passed away on the morning of Monday 16th March 2009 at the age of 70 years - and the HKCC and HKCA offers its sincere condolences and sympathies to his widow, Judy; sons Stephen and Craig; daughters-in-law Jellin and Mary-Anne; and grandchildren Jameson, Jessie and Rachel on their most sad loss.

John Ashworth arrived in Hong Kong with the Royal Army Service Corps in 1957 and played competitive cricket with the Army XI. On his accepting a Commission with the Prisons Department in 1962 (now the Correctional Services Department - CSD) John continued playing cricket in the local Leagues with Craigengower Cricket Club and subsequently the Cavaliers before joining the HKCC in 1971 when he won HKCA Sunday League bowling honours that season with 52 wickets at an average of 12.48.

John won International Representative Hong Kong Honours under the leadership of Colony Captain, Carl Myatt in 1971, whilst also representing HKCC Optimists and HKCC Witherers in the newly introduced Sunday and Saturday Leagues respectively.

Carl Myatt wrote of John that he was "a wonderful teammate and a wonderful competitor - and what I admired most about John was the spirit he brought to the game….a real Yorkshireman's desire never to get beaten.…and it was this spirit that I wanted when the Hong Kong Team toured Singapore and Malaysia in the Interport matches. He never let me down either wearing Hong Kong colours, or CCC's or the Cavaliers."

Peter Hall in his Book '150 Years of Hong Kong Cricket' writes:
"Over the next eight seasons from 1977-78 to 1984-85, HKCC teams captured 15 major titles. The Optimists won in 1978-79 and 1979-80 -"under the shrewd guidance of John Ashworth" - who completed his tenth season with the Optimists, seven as captain."

John continued in his professional life with the CSD rising through the ranks of the Service and retiring in 1993 in the rank of Deputy Commissioner.

John's legacy to cricket from his arrival in 1957 to his untimely recent passing in Hong Kong is without peer. Former cricketers, many as opposing players have all without failing been fulsome in their praise and memory of John as a true competitor, and to quote former HKCA Chairman, Mike Walsh, often a player on the opposing team - "one who played the game as it should be played. John was hard but fair, would give you 'nothing', but was never less than a total sportsman be it in victory or defeat. Mind you being a Yorkshireman he was always better at the former than the latter………."

I like many, many friends made through playing cricket echo and endorse Carl and Mike's words - and on behalf of all fellow friends from around the world - "we shall all miss you John and thank you for your enduring friendship and so many wonderful cricketing memories."

John's family and HKCC cricketers past and present will be 'celebrating' John's life from 6:30pm on Thursday, 2nd April 2009 at the Chater Tavern Bar, 2nd Floor Clubhouse Building, 137 Wong Nai Chung Gap Road and all those who would like to 'raise a glass' and bid John a fond farewell are cordially invited to attend.

Nigel P. Stearns
General Manager
Hong Kong Cricket Club.