Tony Kingston: Northamptonshire scorer passes away aged 83, after 32 years in the scorebox
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Tony Kingston was Northamptonshire scorer from 1990 until his retirement this year.
Northamptonshire have announced the death of the club's long-serving scorer Tony Kingston at the age of 83.
He became scorer in 1990 and retired before the current season after 32 years in the scorebox.
During that time, Kingston calculated he had missed only 66 overs of play - until a diagnosis of prostate cancer forced him to miss the 2019 season.
Northamptonshire described him as "one if its greatest friends and most loyal supporters".
Just last month Kingston was awarded the British Empire Medal, external in the King's birthday honours list.
His association with Northants spanned some 75 years, having taken in his first cricket match at the County Ground in 1948, in the hope of seeing the great Don Bradman in the touring Australia side. In the end, Bradman was rested from the match.
He became scorer for Northants' second XI in 1988 before moving to the first team two years later.
Before ill health forced a break, his proud record of recording every ball of every Northants match was only interrupted by a fall outside his hotel in Cardiff on his way back from a Take That concert and a family funeral.
Nominating former England batter Allan Lamb as his most exciting Northamptonshire player to watch, Kingston said it "felt like I had a season ticket" at Lord's as the club got to four finals in six years, culminating in their Natwest Trophy triumph in 1992.