RAY DIGMAN - Dies in Spain

Date: 4th April 2009

Death of Vice-President

With acknowledgement to the Daily Post & Echo.

Cricket supporters throughout Merseyside will be saddened to hear of the passing of Ray Digman, who has died in Spain, aged 74. One of the best and most competitive fast-medium bowlers the Liverpool Competition has ever produced, Digman attended Liverpool College and the first cricket club he joined was Sefton. He was a key member of the magnificent team, captained by Ted Williams, which won the championship in 1972.

"Ray was one of the best bowlers I played with or against," said Williams yesterday. "He was mainly a seamer but he was always difficult to play on any sort of wicket which gave him assistance. I think he had the opportunity to go to Lancashire but at that time the money in cricket wasn't as great as you could earn outside the game."

Digman later played for a number of clubs including Birkenhead Park, Huyton and Caldy, and he represented Cheshire in minor counties cricket from 1955 until 1972. In 1974 he played in the very high-quality Competition side which won the inter-league Steiner Cup, now the President's Trophy. Alongside him in that outstanding team, captained by Sandy Tittershill, were such pedigree cricketers as Tony Shillinglaw, Ted Williams, Colin Mitchell and Ralph Osborne. Even in today's era, when many of Lancashire's young professionals play in the Competition, it is hard to think that the league could field a better eleven.

Digman continued playing, always demanding the best from himself, until a few years ago. Also a long-serving Secretary of the Liverpool Competition, Digman played an important role in the decision to accept sponsorship and he was made a Vice-President of the league in 1994.