Eastern Cricket Association holds the inaugural Keith Carr Memorial round

The Eastern Cricket Association will pay tribute to one of the greats of the game this weekend when it holds its inaugural Keith Carr Memorial round.

The Eastern Cricket Association will pay tribute to one of the greats of the game this weekend when it holds its inaugural Keith Carr Memorial round.

Carr, who passed away in July, was an outstanding servant of ECA cricket, last December logging his 1000 game as either a player (462 games) or umpire (538 games).

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Eastern Cricket Association legend Keith Carr Picture: Ken Piesse

While those numbers alone are remarkable, it is Carr himself who deserves to be remembered according to association president, and friend, Mike Slattery.

“I guess you could say he was the heart and soul of the association, you just have to look at his record to see that,” he said. “Keith loved the clubs, but all the clubs really loved him.

“He was just a really nice guy, great to have around.”

Such was the footprint Carr left on ECA cricket, he was chosen at the top of the list for a very important honour.

“We instigated a Hall of Fame last year and, with some pretty strict criteria, it was open to players, umpires and officials,” Slattery said.

“Keith was the inaugural inductee and was not only a member but elevated to legend straight away.

“And, he qualified under all three categories.”

The memorial round will involve all games in all grades with players and umpires wearing black arm bands and observing a minutes silence before their games.

The highlight of the round will be a specially designated memorial game in MacGibbon Shield between two clubs Carr was particularly close to — Trinity Willison and Burwood Uniting Canterbury — at Frog Hollow Reserve in Camberwell.

A guard of honour will take place before the start of play.