Hundreds attend service for cricketer Robin Smith

Cricket fans and current and former players have joined friends and family at a memorial service for former England and Hampshire cricketer Robin Smith.

The event at Winchester Cathedral saw hundreds pay their respects to Smith who died in December aged 62, at his home in Perth, Australia.

Nicknamed 'The Judge', Smith won 62 Test caps for England between 1988 and 1996 and scored 4,236 runs at an average 43.67, including nine centuries.

Smith spent his entire domestic career at Hampshire. Rod Bransgrove, honorary life president at Hampshire Cricket, called him "a true son of the county".

He described Smith as "possibly the best match-winning cricketer" that ever played for Hampshire.

"Obviously, I reflect upon his brilliance as a player for both England and for Hampshire but my true reflections are of him as a very, very close friend.

"I miss him dreadfully, personally, but I think the Hampshire faithful miss him just as much," he added.

Smith won two Benson & Hedges Cups and a NatWest Trophy in his time with the team, captaining them between 1998 and 2002.

"To have this many people at Winchester Cathedral is extraordinary and I know the family are very proud that this has been arranged for Robin," said his brother Chris Smith, who played alongside his sibling at Hampshire.

"As a brother he was just a fantastic guy, lovely to be around and as a teammate he was a terrific bloke," he added.

Smith finished his 22-year career in 2003, with 26,155 first-class runs at 41.51, and averaging 39.01 runs in 71 one-day internationals for England.

Following his retirement, Smith, who had relocated to Australia, struggled with mental health issues and alcoholism and spent several months in hospital in 2024.

"He had an extraordinary 24-year career at Hampshire, but just really struggled with life," Chris Smith said.

"I just think about all of the amazing times we had playing cricket together at Hampshire for a long time, rather than all the difficulties he had later in life."

Smith's signature shot, an immensely powerful square cut, made him a feared opponent and earned him admirers around the world.

Former England international Allan Lamb recalled batting alongside Smith in a test match as he bravely took on the terrifying West Indies fast bowlers.

"Robin would stand up on the other end and I said, 'hey, we're not getting off this sinking ship, you're staying with me'. And he stayed on - he had a broken wrist, he got hit in the jaw - and he still carried on batting.

"He was a fine player and he was just a fantastic human being really,"

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