Local cricket legend Keith Dennis, who died suddenly last March while watching the national side competing at World Cricket League Division V in Malaysia, has been honoured with what the ICC describe as ‘an achievement dedicated to the life’s work of an outstanding individual.’
‘The amount he did to help Channel Islands cricket was phenomenal.
‘He guided Jersey through being accepted by the ECB, right through to the Island being recognised as a nation by the ICC.’
Born in London in 1943, Dennis toured the Channel Islands many times with the Marylebone Cricket Club before eventually settling in Jersey in 1996.
He played a major role in the formation of the CI Cricket Board, and was chairman until it disbanded. Dennis was also a leader in the formation of the Jersey Cricket Board – of which he was chairman from 2005 to 2012 – and was instrumental in the Island playing as a nation under the International Cricket Council.
Current JCB chief executive officer Chris Minty said: ‘It’s a great honour for KD – and thoroughly deserved.
‘The amount he did to help Channel Islands cricket was phenomenal. He guided Jersey through being accepted by the ECB, right through to the Island being recognised as a nation by the ICC.
‘He spent many years touring Jersey with the MCC before he moved here so he spent a long time in the Island and, as a consequence, had a really good grasp of Island cricket.’
HAVING visited the Channel Islands many times with the Marlyebone Cricket Club, Keith Dennis moved to Jersey in 1996 and played for the Channel Island Over-50s cricket team, becoming their captain shortly afterwards. He was their main run scorer and completed many match-winning innings for a decade. Under his guardianship, the side made many advances from the group stages of the England and Wales Championship, reaching the quarter- final stages, and in one instance the inspirational figure had a keen sense of humour and always had time for everyone the semi-final of the competition
As chairman of the Jersey Cricket Board, Dennis had seen Jersey play in European and global cricket tournaments in countries such as Tanzania, Nepal and Malaysia – and he’d also witnessed the Island becoming recognised as an outstanding venue for hosting tournaments.
He led the team in the years when the side played their three or four matches away, and at one stage the side was undefeated on UK soil for three years. Mr Dennis played a major role in the formation of the Channel Island Cricket Board, and was chairman until it disbanded. He took Jersey and Guernsey into the ECB 38s Competition, breaking new ground with Jersey and Guernsey playing together. He was also a leader in the formation of the Jersey Cricket Board, and was instrumental in the Island playing in the International Cricket Council. And he was chairman of the JCB from 2005 to 2012.
He had three children – Philly, Katie and Stuart – by his first marriage to Sue. When the marriage ended he met Shirley while on tour with the MCC in Jersey. They moved to the Island and were married, but she died of cancer in 2009. Then he met Janet, and they married in August 2012.
Together they set up the Keith Dennis Jersey Young Cricketers Foundation, a fund ‘for local children to play the great game’. Mr Dennis’s sudden death came as a shock to everyone who knew him, and his loss will produce a big void for those whose lives he touched. St Mary’s Church was filled for the funeral service by his family and friends as well as by many members of the MCC and the Channel Islands Over-50s.
