O'er Dale

Adrian Dale, the county's underrated allrounder, says farewell this autumn. He and his New Zealand-born wife Ruth, and two children Jessica, aged three, and Luke, 18 months, start a new life in the Antipodes.

Dale, universally known on the circuit as `Arthur', hopes to stay in cricket, playing with Cornwall CC in Auckland, the club of the Crowe brothers, Martin and Jeff, Adam Parore and Mark Greatbatch. Glamorgan will miss Dale, their player of the year in 2000 and 2001.

He clocked up more than 12,500 runs and more than 200 wickets in first-class games as well as making invaluable contributions to Glamorgan's one-day successes.

"From a team perspective I will look back on being part of the side which won the Championship as being the outstanding moment," says Dale. "But from a personal point of view I will always treasure taking part in Glamorgan's record stand for any wicket - 425 with Viv Richards against Middlesex at Cardiff in 1993. It was wonderful to be at the other end while the great man was whacking it to all parts."

One of Arthur's biggest regrets is that of Glamorgan's three previous titles in his time (the one-day league in 1993 and 2002, and the Championship in 1997) none was secured at home. He put that right on August 22 when they beat Lancashire at Colwyn Bay to secure the totesport title.

This article was first published in the October issue of The Wisden Cricketer.
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