Blakeney: I did it for my son

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19: Record-breaking batsman Glenn Blakeney reflected on his Eastern County heroics and said: “I did it for my son”.

The humble left hand master blaster also paid tribute to his team-mates and one of his cricketing heroes — Noel Gibbons — whose record he broke on Saturday.

Blakeney’s score of 218 surpassed Gibbons’ long-standing record of 182 as Bailey’s Bay destroyed Flatts in the county game.

In a letter to the Bermuda Sun today he thanked all his fans for the support he had received, especially his son Zavia Khan who he described as ‘the reason I continue playing’.

Blakeney wrote “The historic results over the past weekend have been an overwhelming experience. While I have been flooded with interview requests, I felt it was better to share my personal thoughts and feelings.

“Firstly, I would like to congratulate my captain and team-mates for the historic victory. “Secondly, I continue to have a lot of respect for Flatts, who never gave up in spite of fielding mishaps.

“Had they taken the early chances, the outcome may have been dramatically different as Flatts, in the past, have had Bay backed up against the wall. Thirdly, please allow me the space to personally thank the fans and all those who attended and tuned into the Eastern Counties match between Bailey’s Bay and Flatts Victoria. Without them, there is no reason to play.

“One can’t overlook the masterful innings of young Tre Manders, who batted beyond his years. It was a pleasure to be at the non-striker’s end to watch him play his strokes.

“I also want to highlight the bowling performance of Kyle Hodsoll, who continues to work hard at his game. My admiration for him continues to grow as I have seen him overcome obstacles and the passing of his mom, who was his biggest fan. I know she is proud of him. Bermuda’s cricket is looking promising with Tre, Kyle and other youngsters performing at a high level.

“It was a humbling experience when I was on 182 to know that I was in a position to surpass the record set by the great cricketer, Noel Gibbons, especially growing up with him being one of my favourite cricketers world wide. I would have been just as happy sharing Noel’s record.

“Last but not least, I would like to thank Kerry Tucker, one of my biggest fans, who has always encouraged me to continue to play cricket no matter the outcome and always believed that I would break the Eastern Counties record.

“Much love to my biggest fan, my son, Zavia-Khan, who was able to share the historic occasion with me and remains the reason for me to continue playing.

"I hope the performances during Cup Match and Eastern Counties help to revive the interest in our national sport."