...marked the end of an era for the Northern Cricket Union, as he was one of the union’s longest-serving and most respected stalwarts.
Jim was a gentle giant in so many ways, and behind his gruff and sometimes loud personality, there was a soft centre and a heart of gold. He suffered no fools, but he was always fair and decisive when making decisions. He served local cricket well for over 50 years and started his playing career with St Mary’s before moving to Ulidia. He was a staunch supporter of junior cricket and when Ulidia folded he moved to Cooke and in addition to becoming deeply involved in the club’s administration, he made himself available for NCU service and joined up with his lifelong friends, the late George Orr and Jim Barry. All three served the union manfully, and in later years they loved nothing better than reminiscing on times gone by, and it was always very entertaining in the clubhouse over a few drinks.
But Jim was no dinosaur in cricket development and he led some of the game’s most visionary initiatives in the modern times. He was president of the Northern Cricket Union in 1987/9 and my successor as chairman in 1991. It was rare for a past president to return to the rank and file of NCU administration, but big Jim was a very dedicated administrator and there were goals he wanted to see to fruition. At club level he was a driving force in Cooke’s move to Shaw’s Bridge, and a strong supporter of the merger with Collegians in the late nineties. At union level he handled many challenging issues with diplomacy and integrity, and he won widespread respect for his forthright approach to many difficult situations. He was chairman of the Northern Ireland Cricket Association when it appointed the first cricket development officer, and he was a popular tourist with the NCU inBermudaand with Cooke in Barbados. In every way he was the complete cricketer, and although he never reached any lofty heights as a player, he was a giant of the game as an administrator.
On a personal basis, like many of the NCU administrators who worked with Jim over the years, I greatly valued his friendship and wise counsel. He was always supportive but never patronizing. If Jim disagreed with you he let you know up front. He had no back doors. When he took ill on tour to Africa with the Ireland team some years ago there was a huge swell of support from everyone, not only from the friends he had made on that tour, but within the entire cricket community when he returned. He fought the illness with great courage, but it had taken its toll, and over the past few years he tried valiantly to keep involved with the game, but in our hearts we knew he was losing the battle.
He loved his family and in Valerie he had a strong support throughout his life until illness made that impossible for her in recent times.
We extend our deepest sympathy to Valerie, Peter, and the rest of the family, and we share in your loss as Jim was indeed part of our cricket family. We all loved him dearly.
Farewell big man, you were a true friend.
Clarence Hiles
