No.3
Irish Times Thursday 14th February 1985
Ridgeway retires after 27 full years…by Sean Pender
AFTER 27 years as one of the country’s top cricketers, John Ridgeway is retiring from senior competition. The 44-year-old YMCA all-rounder comes to the decision following a 1984 season that gave him his only Leinster Senior Cup medal. He had already won league mementoes in 1957, 1965 and 1977.
In all Ridgeway scored 6,700 runs, including centuries against Clontarf in 1966 and Leinster in 1977, took 407 wickets and 111 catches. There was a single hat-trick against Railway Union in 1967.
As a South Leinster Guinness Cup regular, he was several times on the verge of the Ireland team and could be considered unlucky not to have been honoured at the top level.
In recent years Ridgeway has been devoting more and more time to the administrative side of the game, at club, provincial and national level. He has just been re-elected Chairman of the Club Schoolboy Branch, teaming up with Keith Lewis (Contarf) for a fourth term that is almost certain to be marked by further progressive development at this important area of the game.
As well as the five competitions already in existence, the CSB have decided that a competition for under-11s is desirable and so the Molins Cup will be launched next summer to cater for this age group.
Ridgeway was several times honoured with the YMCA captaincy, just failing to bring a trophy success to the Claremont Road club, he still has doleful memories of his 1963 term at the helm.
To take the league pennant that summer, YMCA had only to avoid defeat against Old Belvedere in their final encounter. When the Cabra side were put out for 60, YM were already celebrating. Then came unexpected disaster in that YM themselves were routed for 59. And all for the want of one run a coverted trophy slipped away.
Compensation for the retirement of Ridgeway is the news that Keith Bailey will, after all, be available to play for YM next season. Originally committed to a two-year business stint in England, the young wicket-keeper-batsman has returned to Dublin after an abridged stay across the water. This will also be welcome news for South Leinster whom he helped to win the Guinness Cup last summer.