Hundreds attend service for cricketer Robin Smith

Nicknamed 'The Judge', Smith won 62 Test caps for England between 1988 and 1996 [BBC]Cricket fans and current and former players have joined friends and family at a memorial service for former England and Hampshire cricketer Robin Smith.

>The event at Winchester Cathedral saw hundreds pay their respects to Smith who died in December aged 62, at his home in Perth, Australia.

>Nicknamed 'The Judge', Smith won 62 Test caps for England between 1988 and 1996 and scored 4,236 runs at an average 43.67, including nine centuries.

>Smith spent his entire domestic career at Hampshire. Rod Bransgrove, honorary life president at Hampshire Cricket, called him "a true son of the county".

>He described Smith as "possibly the best match-winning cricketer" that ever played for Hampshire.

>"Obviously, I reflect upon his brilliance as a player for both England and for Hampshire but my true reflections are of him as a very, very close friend.

>"I miss him dreadfully, personally, but I think the Hampshire faithful miss him just as much," he added.

>Smith won two Benson & Hedges Cups and a NatWest Trophy in his time with the team, captaining them between 1998 and 2002.

>"To have this many people at Winchester Cathedral is extraordinary and I know the family are very proud that this has been arranged for Robin," said his brother Chris Smith, who played alongside his sibling at Hampshire.

>"As a brother he was just a fantastic guy, lovely to be around and as a teammate he was a terrific bloke," he added.

Hundreds of people attended Winchester Cathedral for the memorial service [BBC]Smith finished his 22-year career in 2003, with 26,155 first-class runs at 41.51, and averaging 39.01 runs in 71 one-day internationals for England.

>Following his retirement, Smith, who had relocated to Australia, struggled with mental health issues and alcoholism and spent several months in hospital in 2024.

>"He had an extraordinary 24-year career at Hampshire, but just really struggled with life," Chris Smith said.

>"I just think about all of the amazing times we had playing cricket together at Hampshire for a long time, rather than all the difficulties he had later in life."

Former England international Allan Lamb was among those paying tribute to Robin Smith [BBC]Smith's signature shot, an immensely powerful square cut, made him a feared opponent and earned him admirers around the world.

>Former England international Allan Lamb recalled batting alongside Smith in a test match as he bravely took on the terrifying West Indies fast bowlers.

>"Robin would stand up on the other end and I said, 'hey, we're not getting off this sinking ship, you're staying with me'. And he stayed on - he had a broken wrist, he got hit in the jaw - and he still carried on batting.

>"He was a fine player and he was just a fantastic human being really,"

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More on this story 'A fearless hero for hapless England' - Robin Smith obituary • >Former England batter Robin Smith dies aged 62