TWO familiar faces will sadly be no longer on the Yorkshire cricket scene following their deaths over the past few days.

A minute's silence was observed before Yorkshire's match at Durham last Sunday following the death earlier in the day of Yorkshire vice-president Alec Lodge, who gave outstanding service to the game, particularly in the Huddersfield area, where he was an ex-president of the Huddersfield League.

Yorkshire chief executive Chris Hassell described Alec as one of the friendliest and most helpful people he had ever met and said that he had always had the greatest enthusiasm for whatever the county club were planning or doing.

Alec's personal Christmas cards to close friends and associates were, apparently, quite stunning and Hassell intends putting his into a montage and placing them on show when Yorkshire have a museum of their own. A memorial service for Alec is being arranged.

The death occurred some few days before Alec of Aidan 'Paddy' O'Byrne, who sold lottery scratchcards and scorecards for Yorkshire and was one of the most well-known and familiar figures at Headingley.

Sadly, 'Paddy', 68, did not turn up at the final day of Yorkshire's championship match against Hampshire a week last Monday and was later found dead at his home in Kelsall Road, Leeds, by his son, also Paddy.

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