Lives in Cricket No 30 - MJK Smith

149 Triumphs and tribulations as Chairman he had seen of Dermot Reeve when he was leaving Sussex? And who made sure the talent of Paul Smith didn’t slip through the net? ‘David Brown, a very genuine bloke, who had a raw deal,’ says Mike. ‘David was always likely to have his head on the block after the unsuccessful period in the 1980s. But he was a major influence on the club’s successes during the 1990s.’ Eighteen months after Woolmer’s departure, Mike was able to retire from the chairmanship leaving the county in better heart, with a championship title to come under the captaincy of Nick Knight in 2005. He will have departed knowing that few can have given longer or more dedicated service to any county. ‘He did a bloody good job,’ says Neil Houghton, Mike’s successor as chairman. ‘He steered the club through some difficult areas – and you have to remember all the extra problems that go with being a Test match ground.’