Michael Boyers: 1948-2025

At Monoux: 1959-1966

Tribute by Geoff Hotten
Hon. Treas.
at Monoux; 1963-70

Along with many many other Old Monovians, I was shocked and saddenend to hear that Mike Boyers had passed away on November 30th at the age of 77.

As well as being a fellow Old Monovian, I worked with Mike on occasion between 1985 and 1996. At the time, he was the Head Teacher at Warwick Boys School, Walthamstow and while I was working for the Education Department of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, one of my additional duties was to act as the Clerk to that school’s governing body. Mike and I attended many meetings of that body while he was Head Teacher. We would meet up just prior to any meeting that we were due to attend and over a cup of tea or coffee, conversation would invariably turn to the latest developments in the world of cricket, or to some brief reminiscences of our experiences at Monoux.

I am sure many Old Monovians who attended Monoux in the mid-1960s, watched Mike bat for the First Eleven on at least one occasion. His batting was explosive and anybody who attended a class in the south side of the school on a wednesday afternoon when the First Eleven was playing, must have been distracted for all the right reasons if Mike was batting! Those on the upper floor would have got a great view if their teacher was delayed for any reason.

During the 1965/66 Indian cricket season, Mike was a member of the London Schools team that toured India, playing a number of unofficial test matches against Indian schools. During 1966 and 1967, he played at Lord’s for the England School Cricket Association Team against the Public Schools. Essex County Cricket Club started to include him in their second eleven and in 1969, Mike played his only County Championship match for the Essex first team, against Middlesex, at Westcliffe. On a spinners’ wicket, Mike scored 0 and 2, but in one of his innings he was stumped by John Murray off the bowling of Fred Titmus, two players who between them played in 74 test matches for England. More than 20 years later, before a meeting at Warwick School, Mike said to me “I scored only 2, but the combination that got me out wasn’t a bad one!”. Sadly, that was Mike’s only County Championship game, but later that season, he played for Essex in a 50 over match at Leyton against the multi-talented touring Barbados team. 6 of that team played test match cricket for the very powerful West Indies team of the 1960s and 1970s. Mike bowled 7 overs for a very respectable return of 1 for 21. Essex were victorious by 34 runs with Mike’s very economical bowling playing a very important role in their win. The wicket he took was that of Arthur Bethell, grandfather of Jacob Bethell, who is now a member of England’s cricket squad. Mike, for many years, played club cricket for South Woodford in the top division of the Essex Cricket League.

When Mike left Monoux, he attended Loughborough University where he played rugby, a sport that was not played at Monoux as all Old Monovians will know!

Mike left teaching in 1996 to take up a post with Essex County Cricket Club as one of their cricket development officers. He was absolutely delighted to return to the world of professional cricket and when I was attending Essex’s matches as a spectator at the Chelmsford County Ground, there were occasions when I would bump into Mike as he was making his way around the ground from his office to either the main admin offices in the pavilion or to the car park. He would always say hello and stop for a brief word. He eventually left Essex to take up the role of coach at the University of Essex Cricket Club, the UECC, where he gained the reputation of being one of the best cricket coaches in the world, borne out by the Australian Cricket Board who offered him a coaching post in 2009, a role which Mike declined as he wished to continue coaching the Essex University team.

Whenever I worked with Mike, I found him to be extremely friendly, accomodating and humorous; a first class human being.

Rest in peace Mike; it was a great pleasure and privilege to have known you.

Geoff. Hotten

Tribute by Bob Westaway
At Monoux: 1965-72

Michael (whom I think we knew as ‘Mick’) was, I think, an outstanding schoolboy cricketer. Tall, lean, and fair-haired, I remember him mainly as a bowler, and to us he seemed a fearsomely quick bowler. So, although if my memory serves me right in a way it does increasingly rarely nowadays, and although I think he probably scored two centuries in his upper sixth year, it’s interesting that Keith Hill remembers him most for one of his innings with the bat. Essex were ahead of most counties in having links with schools in those days, no doubt inspired in Monoux’ case by Doug Insole, and to me it seemed inevitable that he would go on to be a professional cricketer. However the gulf between school cricket and professional cricket was clearly bigger than I had imagined, as is perhaps evidenced by Essex’ description of him as being a “fast-medium bowler” when at school he was considered to be distinctly quick. Essex gave him a few outings in the second eleven but in his only first-class game he made no impact with the bat and wasn’t given a chance with the ball, which I do recall disappointed me as I felt that was his stronger suit. In August 1969, he played in a friendly one-day game between the County and a touring Barbados team tacked on to the end of the then-annual cricket week at the Leyton Ground (in case you don’t know it, it is on the west side of the High Road just beyond Leyton Midland Road Station, and is still used by the Council for recreational use and indeed by the County for coaching etc). I was there - Keith may very well have been too - and Michael must again have been disappointed by scoring only 8, but at least on this occasion he was given a bowl, and from what I remember it was a tidy spell during which he bowled seven overs and took 1 for 21.

I continued to follow Essex for many years, and Michael was a familiar sight during the intervals for many years, coaching boys on the outfield. But sadly he never played for the first team after that year.

I’m conscious of having written rather a lot of words without actually saying much, but hope that it might be in some small way helpful.

All the best

Bob

(thank you, Bob, your words have captured the spirit of the day and that of the man who, at school, we all admired with a certain degree of awe! - Sec)

Obituary from Essex C.C.

Essex County Cricket Club are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former Essex cricketer Michael Boyers, who passed away on Sunday 30 November aged 77 years-old.

Born on 16 April 1948 in Plaistow, Newham, London, Michael Boyers was a right-handed batter and right-arm fast-medium bowler who represented Essex Cricket in the late 60s.

Boyers played the majority of his cricket for the Club between 1967 and 1969 when he played Second XI cricket. In July 1969, he made his first-class debut for the first team, facing Middlesex, batting in the low-middle order.

The following month, August 1969, he made his List A debut, playing against a touring Barbados side. Boyers took the wicket of Arthur Bethell (the grandfather of current Warwickshire and England all-rounder Jacob Bethell.

After his playing days, Michael used his knowledge of the sport and became the cricket coach for the University of Essex.

Essex County Cricket Club extends sincere condolences to Michael’s family, friends and all those who are connected with him. May he rest peacefully, he will be sadly missed.