Former Northamptonshire County Cricket Club chairman Martin Lawrence has died.
He passed away on Monday after a lengthy period of ill health.
Lawrence spent over a decade on the committee at Northamptonshire during which time he headed the promotions and marketing sub-committee before replacing Simon Schanschieff as club chairman in 2007.
Perhaps his greatest achievement was in overseeing the purchase of the County Ground’s freehold, a move which meant the club were owners of their own home.
He stood down as chairman at the end of last summer and was replaced by Gavin Warren who said: “Martin was a charismatic leader who inspired us all to make Northants Cricket a ground and club that people wanted to visit.
“His charm had an infectious effect on us all, and we will thoroughly miss his beaming smile at Wantage Road.”
ECB chairman Giles Clarke also paid tribute to Lawrence. He described him as ‘a truly great man who, as chairman of Northants Cricket, was an inspiration to all the cricket family’.
A statement from the club said: “One of nature’s genuine gentlemen, Martin will be much-missed by everyone at Wantage Road and Northants Cricket offers sincerest condolences to his family and friends.”