The Nomads family has lost one of its best-loved and most colourful characters, Vice President Keith Anderson.

Keith, who played for the Nomads throughout the 70s, was a stylish batsman, a fine slip catcher and a capable spin bowler.

He regularly opened the innings and, for the sake of the team, recognised the importance of smoking a joint before going out to bat. This, he claimed, helped him to make runs.

On one occasion he had his customary pre-innings smoke, only to discover that captain Geoff Howard had lost the toss and the Nomads were fielding.

Positioned at silly mid-off, he was struck in the middle of the forehead by a powerful shot from the opposition’s opening batsman off the very first ball.

For the next few minutes he was to be seen and heard staggering about in mid-pitch, exclaiming: “Far out, man. Best trip I’ve ever had”.

Guitar-playing hippie Keith enjoyed an extremely active love life, boosted by the fact that he was “the best-looking man in the world” (quote: Jackie Lamb).

Mike Steeden, who introduced Keith to the Nomads, recalls: “He had the ability to melt knicker elastic from 100 metres”.

In the 80s he moved to California where he played cricket as “the token white man” in a team of Indians (Asian, not Red).

He was also an excellent golfer who played off a single-figure handicap.

Twenty years on he returned to Britain to help look after his ailing mother, having given away two houses, one to a wife and one to a lover.

Deciding that his return should be a surprise, he hid in a large cardboard box outside his mother’s house and jumped out as she approached the front door. What this did for her health and wellbeing is not recorded.

Sadly, the last ten years of his life were beset with money and health problems. He died from coronavirus on April 3.