Cricket in Vancouver

Cricket is alive and well in Vancouver. The North Shore Cricket Club is 85 years old and counts South Africans Rod Shainbom and Hannes Coetzee among their members.  Rod is a West Vancouver dentist and coaches at the club. The Greg Hobson Memorial Cricket Fund is in memory of another South Africa who died too young. Greg lived in North Vancouver and died at the age of 21 after being hit on the head with a cricket ball while batting in 1995. He had removed his helmet, possibly due to heat. He was one of twins. Greg and Wayne were born in South Africa and moved to Vancouver with their parents Wendy and John when they were 15. The Australian cricket side signed a bat in memory of Greg after defeating England in the final cricket match played at Lord's after their 2001 tour of England. PGA Tour golfer Greg Norman signed a glove in memory of Greg after his first round of the 1999 US Open golf tournament played at Pinehurst, N.C. The Greg Hobson Memorial Cricket Fund has purchased cricket helmets and distributed them to junior players. Each helmet carries the inscription "In memory of Greg Hobson, 1973 - 1995". The fund also established a memorial bench in Greg's memory at Northlands Golf Course and one in Stanley Park, near the Brockton Point cricket ground clubhouse. The fund also supported the tsunami aid effort.