Newly re-elected president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Chetram Singh and secretary of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) Hilbert Foster, yesterday lauded the late cricket umpire Compton Vyphius’s contribution to Guyana cricket.
“Compton Vyphius was one of the few umpires from Guyana who officiated in test matches,” Singh recalled.
“He was also a match referee and an experienced umpire who had the confidence of the players because he knew the game very well,” he added.
Vyphius, who officiated in six test matches and two One-Day International games, died on Friday at the age of 75.
“He will be sadly missed by cricketers in Guyana and by the GCB,” said Singh adding that on behalf of the GCB he wished to extend deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late umpire.
And the RHTY&SC also sent out condolences to the family and fiends of the late Vyphius.
“The president, executive and members of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club would like to express its deepest sympathy to the grieving family and friends of the former test and first class umpire Mr. Compton Vyphius on his sudden and unexpected death,” a release from Foster secretary of the RHTY&SC stated.
The club recalled that in 2007 it had honoured the outstanding cricket official under its Tribute to Heroes programme for his services to cricket over the decades.
“Mr. Vyphius was widely respected in Guyana for his numerous achievements on the cricket field,” the release added.
The club called on the relevant authorities to make sure the memory of Vyphius lived on and said it would do so by renaming its disciplined player of the year award in his memory.
Vyphius officiated in his first test from March 22-27 1974 at Bourda when the West Indies played the touring England cricketers.
His partner then and in his last test from April 15-18 Trinidad in 1978 was the Jamaican umpire Douglas Sang Hue.
