…when he was off to the Caribbean with the Irish squad and a memorable trip to Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana.
There may have been a few people around the Irish playing set-up who hadn’t heard of the popular former NCU president prior to his appointment, but after that trip the affable retired cardiologist has won a mountain of friends with his friendly outgoing approach to the role. Certainly, in the aftermath of the England debacle in Georgetown, Basil lifted the spirits of everyone with a rousing speech from the heart, and a promise to the players and officials that they had his 100% support going forward. This will not surprise anyone who knows Basil McNamee, as he is one of the true stalwarts of Ulster club cricket and it is a tribute to himself and Dungannon Cricket club that he has attained the highest accolade in Irish cricket.
Basil’s cricket roots started in Donemana in the mid-fifties under the tutelage of the late great Alex McBrine. Although just a teenager, he played in two losing North-West cup finals against Eglinton in 1954 and 1956, before moving to Belfast to start his medical studies at Queen’s University. He then became an integral member of the Queen’s team for six years during which they had an unforgettable year in 1959 winning the NCU senior league, but losing the senior cup final to Lisburn. His brother Derek also played in that Queen’s team, which is widely regarded as the greatest in the history of the university. After his studies Basil joined North of Ireland and for a couple of years he played at Dungannon when he was working at the South Tyrone Hospital. On his return to Belfast he became captain of both North of Ireland and Ulster Town, and featured in many match-winning performances for both club and Province. He was also a member of the North team that won the senior cup in 1969, ironically against his former Queen’s University club. North featured four doctors in their team, and Queen’s two!
In the early seventies Basil moved permanently to Dungannon and began a long association with the Mid-Ulster Hospital and the local cricket club. It says much for his character that he was prepared to drop from the top of Ulster club cricket to grass-roots, and for the next three decades he made a huge contribution to the club on and off the field, and at the same time he continued a busy and demanding career as a top cardiologist at one of the Province’s busiest hospitals. His has since retired, but he maintains strong support for his local cricket club where his sons have proudly continued the McNamee tradition on and off the cricket field.
Basil is also a keen golfer, and not surprisingly his regular fourball is as much about cricket as it is golf, as his playing partners are his former North colleagues Dr. Michael Crooks, Rev. John Davey, and Dungannon solicitor and former cricketer Phil Orr.
Basil’s golf may be restricted during 2010 as he has vowed to travel extensively with the Irish teams, and there will be no better ambassador than the man from Dungannon.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
