Devon Cricket Board - Tributes paid to former Bovey stalwart Gibbs

TEAM-mates and old rivals have paid tribute to former Bovey Tracey fast bowler Lewis Gibbs, who has died in Spain. He was 72.
Gibbs played in the Bovey Tracey 1st XI for more than 35 years – 14 of them as captain between 1960-1973.
He carried on playing for another 10 years, latterly in the 2nd XI, and served as chairman between 1987-92.
Gibbs (left) and Katie, his wife of 48 years, bought a holiday home in Spain 12 years ago. While driving back to Britain to visit family and friends, Gibbs suffered a heart attack behind the wheel.
A cremation took place in Spain last week. Son Neil is bringing his father’s ashes back to this country for a memorial service in Bovey Tracey.
Nigel Mountford, the current chairman of Bovey Tracey, made his 1st XI debut when Gibbs was captain and remembers his old skipper with affection.
“Lewis was a very prominent player in the club when I started playing in about 1966,” said Mountford (right).
“He was great for me in that he encouraged me and gave me a chance, probably in the same way that my father had encouraged Lewis.
“Lewis also encouraged players such as John Payne and later on Barry Shaw and Nicky Gaywood.
“Lewis was a hostile fast bowler who, on his day, rated with anyone in the county.
“He was arguably one of the best bowlers ever produced at Bovey Tracey and was selected for a number of trial and warm-up matches for Devon.
At that time Bovey Tracey was not a fashionable club and Lewis never played at Minor Counties level.
“Lewis is one of only three members at the club to take all 10 wickets in a match. He did it against Barton at Cricketfield Road in 1973
“His figures were 16.1 overs, 10 for 40 – all the more remarkable when you consider that nine of his victims were bowled.”
The not-out batsman after Gibbs had finished causing carnage was teenager Jim Parker, now a Devon youth coach.
“I was only a youngster and it was one of the highlights of my career that he didn't get me,” said Parker.
“Lewis was a quick and aggressive bowler who took no prisoners.
“We had some pretty tough games against Bovey in those days and I mean tough and Lewis led from the front for them.”
Friend and foe alike said Gibbs was a formidable opponent who would go through almost anything to play.
“Lewis always gave 110 per cent and was Bovey through and through,” remembered Mountford.
“I once saw him have an injection in his leg at Exmouth so desperate was his desire to play. Unfortunately, when bowling he broke down again as he was putting more pressure on his other leg.”
Ex-cricket club chairman George Gribble, a friend from school days and a town council colleague of Gibbs between 1983-95, rated Gibbs highly.
“He was one of the best bowlers Devon never had,” said Gribble. “Why he was never picked, I don’t know.”
Gibbs played the bulk of his cricket in the days before league matches started and Bovey’s big games were the derby dates with South Devon and Chudleigh.
Graham Shears (left), who opened the batting for Chudleigh, faced Gibbs many times over the years.
“We didn’t care about the rest of the season as South Devon and Bovey were the big matches to win – and they felt the same about playing us so it was always lively,” said Shears.
“Lewis was a good bowler who could hit the ball hard as well when he was younger.
“Like all good fast bowlers he could be a bit curt at times and had something to say – normally how good he was and how useless you were.
“Underneath that gruff exterior he had a heart of gold though.”
South Devon batsman Joe Oliver (below) had his run-ins with Gibbs, an opponent he held in high regard.
“He was quick and he liked to get stuck in,” said Oliver. “I used to open the batting against him and Alan Raisey with Tony Richardson and it was always a challenge.
“Lewis was a fierce competitor and never short of a bit of banter.”
Gibbs took well over a thousand wickets for Bovey during his career, enjoying a golden summer in 1973 when dismissing Barton single-handed was just one of his achievements.
“In the return fixture two weeks later Lewis took seven for 48 against Barton – and in the week between he had seven for 34 against Buckfastleigh,” said former Bovey Tracey scorer Harold Shaw.

“In those days Bovey used to go on tour to Sussex and that year when we played Rottingdean he took nine for 40. In a way he got all ten as Mike Lane took the other wicket… thanks to a catch from Lewis!”
Lewis Gibbs was born in September 1941 to parents Olive and Ron. He never knew his father, a Royal Marine who was away on active service when he was born and later died in a PoW camp in Germany.
After leaving Newton Abbot Grammar School he worked as a heavy goods vehicle fitter before a career switch to the insurance industry.
In 1978 Gibbs and cricket pal Eric Thomas went into partnership running what became Dartmoor Garage. The business is still in the family, run by son Neil (42) and daughter Claire (46)
An interest in the community led Gibbs to seek election to Bovey Tracey Town Council in 1983. He was voted in as mayor and lord of the manor in 1988 for a 12-month term.
He also served a term as president of Bovey Tracey Rotary Club before it merged with Chudleigh.
During the winter season Gibbs was a footballer and a member of the Bovey Tracey 1st XI that beat Totnes Town 3-1 in the 1961 Herald Cup final in front of a 3,000-plus crowd at Newton Recreation Ground.