For the past ten years a special cricket match has taken place each summer in memory of Old Bradfieldian Michael Clark (H 95-00). Mike sadly passed away on 16 October 2012 from cancer at the age of just thirty and each year since 2013 the Mike Clark Memorial Cricket Match has taken place on Pit, between the Bradfield Waifs and Mike’s cricketing friends from the University of Southampton, where he studied Sports Science.
Simon Lowndes (G 95-00) remembers Mike as having a very competitive nature and when he joined Bradfield he was “an instant hit with any master in charge of sport. He was in the firsts for at least two years in football, cricket and hockey and remarkably had time to be a Junior Champion in badminton.” He was also a fiercely loyal friend and highly respected by those in his many walks of life.
Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the memorial match, this summer’s T20 match took place on Pit on a beautiful day in mid-July.
Remembering Mike as one of his closest friends at Bradfield, Duncan Irens (C 96-01) captained the victorious Waifs team this year and was involved in the very first match. Other members of the Waifs team included Will Edes (E 97-02), Ed Dillon (H 95-00), Tom Quirk (C 93-98) and Aruna Sellahewa (D 95-00) who all knew Mike. They were supported by Mike’s family, his parents George and Trisha Clark, sister Louise Koslicki (K 96-98), her old Bradfield friend Antonia Osborne (K 98-00) and the families of many of the players.
The Southampton side was led by Mike’s university friend Jeremy May. His team, some of whom had also worked in Dubai with Mike, featured Jaimie Cork, Johnny Fawls, Nick Dyson, Gareth Starling, James Barrett, Joe St John, Josh Lendel, Jonny Bough, Charlie May and Chris Rushton.
To commemorate the ten years since Mike’s passing, a new bench was commissioned which is positioned near his memorial tree beside the scoreboard on Pit.
