FOREST cricketing hero John Notley died aged 80 on January 4. A much-loved figure and an especially talented batsman, John is remembered by The Forester’s former sports editor Rob Harris.

AT THE age of 70, John Notley was still opening the batting for Dymock’s first XI in the County League. It wasn’t sentiment driving his selection – he was there on merit and scoring more runs than most of his team-mates.

John, who died recently, aged 80, was a wonderful cricketer with a natural eye for a ball, quick feet and a hunger for batting.

Usually, he batted without protective gloves, because he said it gave him ‘a better feel of the bat’. Invariably, it infuriated the fast bowlers who would try and rap him on the knuckles, without success.

Particularly strong off the back-foot, John would simply hook and pull them into submission, never allowing them to gain the upper hand.

John Notley was a superb batsman, one of the best the Forest has produced. He was also a thoroughly nice bloke, respected and admired by opponents as well as team-mates. He just loved the game of cricket, whether he was batting, sitting on a roller or talking about it in the bar or the car on the way home from a match.

John’s son Mark and grandson Corey have inherited his love of the game, and some of his talent too. And there was always a twinkle of pride in his eye when one of them did well. Indeed, John genuinely enjoyed seeing other people do well.

When he was getting older, John would sometimes say that he couldn’t see the scoreboard from the wicket because his eyesight ‘wasn’t so good’. Then he would smack the next ball for four.

‘How can you do that, when you can’t even see the ball?’ I once asked, between deliveries.

He shrugged matter-of-factly and said: “I just watch the bowler’s hand when he’s running in. As long as I can pick the line I can get a feel for it.”