Many in Bermuda’s cricket fraternity are expected to turn out on Sunday for the funeral of Anthony Roberts, or uncle Sonny as he was so fondly referred to in the Somerset community.

Roberts, who was 91 when he died on Tuesday, was the oldest surviving Somerset Cup Match cricketer. His funeral will be held at St. James Church on Sunday at 2.00 p.m.

Roberts played initially for Somerset Bridge before being approached by Amon Hunt who asked him to join Somerset Cricket Club.

In an interview with The Royal Gazette four years’ ago, Roberts said: “Amon Hunt used to come out and coach our team (Somerset Bridge) and one day he asked me to join (Somerset Cricket Club) because they wanted a spin bowler and I was a spin bowler.

“He (Hunt) told me to apply for membership, but only after October when all of the cricket critics were no longer around because they didn’t want any players from across the bridge playing in their team in those days.”

Eventually he was accepted by SCC and joined in 1941 and played in Cup Match the following year.

“I didn’t get to bat too many times in those days because Somerset were pretty much ruling then. But in my first year (1942) in Cup Match we gave them a two to one defeat at the Royal Naval Field in Somerset.”

Like any other colt, Roberts admitted he had butterflies in his stomach before the match.

“I couldn’t sleep and there was a rule that you had to be in bed by 10 p.m.,” he recalled.

In 1943, however, Roberts was dropped from Somerset’s Cup Match team after originally being chosen to play.

“People still talk about that one even today because I was selected to play and then the week of Cup Match a certain group of 25 (club members) got together and put me out of the team,” he said.

“They put Earnest Brown in the team in my place and poor Toddy went to Cup Match and made a King’s Pair (two ducks).

“But it’s a horrible thing to do – to pick someone and then put them out of the team – and I have been told that it has happened before to someone else on the night before Cup Match.”

Roberts was recalled to the Somerset Cup Match team in 1944, and in 1952 he was appointed captain.

Also in 1952 Roberts captained Somerset against a touring West Indies team containing several Test players. He also captained Somers Isle Cricket League Selects against visiting West Indies teams led by Sir Gary Sobers and Everton Weekes.

“I never thought I would captain a team against Gary Sobers,” Roberts said.

Before retiring from playing active cricket in the 1970s, Roberts joined forces with Alma (Champ) Hunt, Carl Simmons, Andy Smith and Sinclair (Bunkers) Bean and formed the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) at Young Men’s Social Club in 1961 where he later served as secretary for many years.

Roberts was the father of former Youth and Sport Director Brenton and former Somerset Eagles and Somerset Trojans footballer Mel.