HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to a Halstead Cricket Club "legend" after Lloyd Rayner sadly passed away this week.

The 72-year-old, who was well-known around Halstead, died after a short battle against cancer and club stalwarts have been quick to honour a man who was a major part of life at Star Stile over the last five and half decades.

Halstead Cricket Club president Stuart Berger said: "I first met Lloyd when I joined the club in 1968 and he took me under his wing.

"We played a lot of cricket together, opening the batting together, so we knew each other's games well and just had a lot of fun together.

"Then when we packed up serious cricket, we socialised together; he was just a good friend for an awfully long time.

"His passing means there is a big hole in the club.

"Lloyd was a big presence and during the season he was always there when any cricket was being played as he was a great supporter of the club's teams and you always expected to see him there.

"He will be greatly missed; we will go on obviously but it won't be the same.

"The word 'legend' is loosely used, but not in his case."

Lloyd was primarily a skilful opening batsman - scoring more than 21,000 runs - but he was also a useful bowler, whose off-spin accounted for almost 300 wickets and he was an extremely safe pair of hands in the slip cordon.

Berger added: "He was just a natural.

"He was never coached, he learned his cricket at the club and it just came naturally to him. "He was a one-off and you don't get many of them."

Lloyd made his first XI Halstead debut as a 17-year old in 1963, going on to score 21,386 runs at an average of 29.66 and take 280 wickets at 20.67 in a 33-year career with the first team, captaining the side for three seasons between 1980 and 1982.

He then went on to captain the club's thirds where he was able to pass on his knowledge and enthusiasm for the game to the club's up and coming players.

Halstead director of cricket Phil Toogood said: "Lloyd was integral in getting me to Halstead back in 1983.

"I had been playing at Sudbury before, but he got me over the border and my cricketing career really took off the moment that I arrived at Star Stile.

"So I have so much to thank him for.

"He and Stuart Berger were two huge influences on me as a club cricketer and then going on to play at higher levels and there was so much that Lloyd taught me about not only cricket but about life as well.

"He approached cricket as he approached life - with a smile on his face.

"He was an excellent cricketer and played it in the right way, but he was always the first to buy a beer in the bar afterwards.

"He taught me the social side of cricket as well and I know me saying that will make people who knew him laugh. "I was only 22 when I joined Halstead and right up until recent times, Lloyd had a knack of dealing with younger players; he was so encouraging of our colts players. "He just had this great enthusiasm about seeing the younger players coming through the club's ranks.

"His passing leaves a huge hole that I don't think can ever be filled.

"He was one of a kind."

But is wasn't just Halstead Cricket Club who will be mourning Lloyd's passing as he also played for Halstead Town Football Club in the 1960s and '70s.

Berger added: "We not only played cricket together, we also played football alongside each other.

"Lloyd was a big guy and played up front as a centre-forward; he was a good goal scorer.

"We would always wait until the end of the cricket season before we started playing football, though.

"It didn't go down too well in some quarters at the football club, but cricket was our first love."