ONE of South Westmorland's sporting icons sadly passed away, aged 82, this summer, writes John Glaister.

A Windermere man through and through, Wallace Salisbury was a natural sportsman but excelled at soccer and cricket.

In the post war years Wallace was a star performer with Netherfield AFC who then played in the Lancashire Combination. His elder brother Jack played in the same team and was also an accomplished cricketer.

Wallace's athelticism as goalkeeper earned him the sobriquet "The Black Cat" for the manner in which he flung himself around to make many astonishing saves. By the mid 1950s he was patrolling the Windermere goalmouth.

As a cricketer, he played for his home town for over 30 years from 1937. He was a fast bowler, a hard-hitting batsman and talismanic figure.

Windermere were one of the outstanding teams in Westmorland Cricket League history, winning the championship six times in the 1950s. Wallace was at the height of his powers in 1955 when he took all 10 Netherfield A wickets for an analysis of 15.3-6-21-10. - believed at the time to be the best-ever first division return.

He will also be remembered for his contribution in the Henry Meageen Cup matches. Between 1948-55 Windermere appeared in three finals and two semi-finals for the championship of Cumberland and Westmorland. Sadly all three finals were lost but the 1949 game against Whitehaven sums up Wallace's approach.

Windermere who had slowly reached 50-6 when Wallace smashed 47 not out to make a game of it.

Loitering at the wicket was not Wallace's game and many a team-mate received plenty of admonition for doing just that. His passing robs Windermere of one of its best loved sporting sons - a genuinely decent man who always played to win but with a smile on his face.