Clive Rosevear RIP
Courtesy Cornwall Live
Clive Rosevear RIP
By Michael Weeks (CCL Hon Sec) & Robert Jobson (CCL Exec & Veryan CC President)
It is with great sadness we report the passing of former Cornwall Cricket League President Clive Rosevear at the age of 88.
He died, peacefully, at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro on Monday 5 December 2022.
He had suffered a fall at home around ten days previously and broken his hip.
His son Nick said, “ After being admitted to Treliske within a couple of days he contracted covid and on top of everything else, that was the final straw”.
“As you know, he loved all sport but Cornish Cricket was his real passion - from playing, umpiring, supporting and sponsoring.”
“His legacy will live on with the Clive Rosevear Cup and please be assured that we will still continue to sponsor the Hawkey Cup - he loved the finals days/evenings as he caught up with friends from all corners of the County.”
Clive was born at Falmouth on 20th October 1934.
He played league cricket in mid-Cornwall and in 1969 he took on the role of the League’s Eastern Section Assistant Secretary for a season. Long-serving Eastern Secretary Charles Crouch had announced his pending retirement after 17 years. The following year the Eastern Sectional Committee shared all the various secretarial responsibilities.
In 1980 Clive became an Eastern Section panel umpire, a task he was to fulfil on the circuit for nine seasons.
He was also instrumental in getting the first overseas players over from West Indies. Being also very good mates with Colin Paige, who was the manager of Kent, he used to get them down fairly regularly. Nick remembers some of them staying with the family, including John Shepherd among others. Happy days!
In 1993 his company Clive Rosevear Insurance sponsored the 20 over Eastern KO competition – the Hawkey Cup. That has continued until this day and had it not been for the covid year last season would have been the thirtieth-anniversary final.
Clive was always a familiar figure at the annual finals night at St Austell Cricket Club and would invariably be present at the subsequent WT Edwards Final, whether it be at Wheal Eliza or Truro.
In 2008 the ‘Clive Rosevear Cup’ was inaugurated as a 20-over competition for teams playing no higher than Division Three. That competition remains popular and Clive was always on hand on finals day whether it be at Roche, Menheniot, his former club Gorran or Lanhydrock.
After Mike Buzza stood down as League President in 2011 a replacement was sought. Clive was honoured to be asked by the League and the following January 2012, he took over the role. He was to hold the position for ten years, to the day, before standing down in 2022. On retiring he reflected on his tenure by saying “thank you for ten wonderful years.”
He did the League proud as its figurehead. He attended Management Committee meetings and was part of the presentation ceremonies at the major finals. Not content with that he would tour the county on Saturdays, often with his good friend, umpire Dave Higman, visiting as many of the top games in the season that he could in addition to his regular local venues St Austell and Grampound Road.
Sadly, in January 2018, he lost his wife, Joyce (87). The lockdowns of covid followed that and he would tell me on the phone of his frustrations of not being able to get to cricket and meet up with friends. Clive had some health problems in recent years but was still determined to show his face at the various showpiece events. My last conversation was in the autumn of 2022 and he was still ‘on the ball’ reflecting the dramatic Premier League relegation battle of the last season.
Clive was also a stalwart supporter of Cornwall County Cricket Cricket and was a regular attendee on match days. He coached/managed the Colts back in the day. Often he would ring me after seven in the evening, when the county was playing away, for a score update or result. County Club members are entitled to attend the Annual Meeting each March though, with the business over within twenty minutes or so, understandably not many do. The one exception – was Clive. Often in the old days climbing those granite steps to the Council Chamber at Truro’s City Hall.
In the words of his son Nick “He also loved watching/supporting and his trip to Amsterdam to watch Cornwall in 2004 with Father Ken is legendary 
”
Robert Jobson reflects:
“The diminutive Clive, a left-handed batsman, was known as Mini. He played his cricket for St Stephen, Gorran, Grampound Road and the Cornish Crusaders. A highlight of his sporting career was the Crusaders’ tour to Kent in 1971, led in inimitable style by Michael Williams and the hilarious Father Ken Rogers.”
“As well as playing on Kent’s famous county ground at Canterbury, Clive surpassed himself by beating ultra-competitive Yorkshireman Bill Murphy, of Wadebridge, at golf with an outrageous long-distance birdie on the 18th hole at Egham. It left Bill speechless and Clive jubilant for the next 50 years.”
“When he was young, scrum-half Clive also had the thrill of playing rugby for Cornwall Schools at Cardiff Arms Park where he retained vivid memories of one of his team-mates, the prodigious goal kicker Roger Hosen, already emerging as one of Cornwall’s most celebrated rugby players and cricketers.”
“However it was Clive’s contribution off the field for which he will be most cherished, namely his steadfast support for Cornish cricket through good times and bad and his sponsorship of cup competitions in East Cornwall which provided so much enjoyment for players, supporters and of course Clive himself.”
“Despite his declining health, Clive attended as many of those finals as he could to meet up with friends and present the cups. He also derived much pleasure in his final years sitting on the grassy bank at Wheal Eliza with old mate Alex Machin, watching Clive’s grandson Tom Rosevear play for St Austell.”
“Clive was equally as proud as punch when granddaughter Eve got selected for Cornwall Girls and played at all age levels to Under 17s”
RIP Clive – thanks for the memories - the legacy lives on.
Funeral details will follow.
Michael Weeks
