Remembering Nicholas Sharp

Sussex Cricket is saddened to announce the death of Nicholas Sharp at East Surrey Hospital on Sunday 23 February. He was a well-known figure at Hove for many years, a Vice President of Sussex Cricket and a trustee of Sussex Cricket Museum.

Nicholas, born in October 1936, was brought up in Hove and attended Sherborne School in Dorset. His grandfather was Alex Witcher, chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion and of utility companies in Haywards Heath. 

The love of cricket started at an early age and he fondly recalled his first visit to the County Ground to watch Sussex play the Indians in 1946 when the first four visiting batsmen scored centuries and George Cox replied with 234*.

A successful banking career took him to Surrey but he continued to play club cricket for Hove Montefiore and occasional matches for MCC. When he retired in 1999 he became a well-known and regular spectator at Hove and elsewhere, whilst continuing to be a generous supporter of St James Montefiore C.C. when his club merged with St James to play at their new ground at Ditchling.

The history of Sussex cricket fascinated Nicholas and he built up a magnificent collection of historic items encouraged by his wife's discovery of a bundle of old scorecards in an antique shop.

Sussex cricket postcards also attracted him and in 1994 he wrote, with Bob Jones, 'Sussex Cricket Postcards 1901-1947'.

Nicholas was aware that many historic items belonging to the Club were scattered around the ground and were poorly curated.

 The auction sale of some of these items in 1980 appalled him and so he spent hours in helping to establish the present Sussex Cricket Museum. Located on the ground floor of the 1872 pavilion the museum arose out of a chaotic area used by the groundstaff and has been a huge success since it was opened in 2011.

As author or co-author of perhaps a dozen books relating to Sussex cricket history Nicholas did much to promote the Museum and generously loaned items from his collection, the last of which being a historic bat used by the legendary Duleepsinhji.

Nicholas enjoyed hosting cricket folk at home with his charming late wife Brenda. Sussex Cricket sends sincere condolences to sister Judy Middleton, the noted local historian, and to sons Simon and Andrew and their families. He is irreplaceable.