IT was a glorious summer for Lee Driver-Dickerson as he cracked the cricket ball to all parts of the ground and took a decent amount of wickets as well.

But through July and August, Driver-Dickerson ensured he was on the phone every Saturday between 3pm and 4.45pm, even if he was in the pavilion, to ensure he kept in touch with proceedings at Slimbridge AFC.

Driver-Dickerson was appointed as The Swans’ assistant manager by boss Freddy Ward during the close season but, while he would never let Slimbridge down, he could not, either, let down the cricket club where he was an opening batsman of some aplomb.

Indeed, he finished on top of Frampton-on-Severn’s batting statistics for the season. He played 21 innings from 22 games for his side, hit a total of 851 runs which included three centuries and three fifties.

The Frampton batsman’s highest score was 123 not out, and he finished with a batting average of 53.19 and a strike rate of 67.95.

People still double at cricket and football around Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, but Driver-Dickerson is in a responsible position with Evo-Stik South, West League side Slimbridge and required special permission from the club to continue playing cricket while the football season was in its’ infancy.

Now, though, Dickers, as he is known, is fully behind the Swans campaign and hoping to help them climb the league this season.

He was recruited after managing Frampton United to second spot in the Gloucestershire County League last season, and said: “It is difficult to step up to this level.

“They (Slimbridge) have made me feel very welcome. Fred approached me because I have known him for a while. I played youth football with and against him.”

Driver-Dickerson played for Shortwood United and Tuffley as a player and had been manager of Frampton United for ten years before moving to the Swans.

But cricket has been a passion since he was a youngster and, while Driver-Dickerson was always around Slimbridge for training nights during the summer, he was at the crease for Frampton-on-Severn Cricket Club on Saturdays.

“I had a decent year with the bat and did ok with the ball,” he said. “Frampton are a local team and we did ok in the league in the end. We finished fourth (in the Gloucestershire County League Division Three) and we had a decent run in the County Cup.”

Driver-Dickerson, batting at number one, signed off for the summer season with Frampton by cracking 111 in 129 balls in the 86-run away win against Newent.

But he said of the two roles: “It was demanding. The football season starts before the cricket season ended but I love the game. I have always played it since I was a boy.

“It’s a team game that I thoroughly enjoy. Frampton is a family and most of the players have been part of Frampton cricket for years.”

And the matter of local lads playing for a local team was another factor that encouraged Driver-Dickerson to join Slimbridge.

“We have a new side at Slimbridge, really, with five or six new faces and we are really youthful. Against Cinderford this season, our oldest player was 27 and there were three or four 19-year-olds who started that game.

“The committee have been brilliant as well. Barry (Gay. Chairman), Colin (his brother. Football Secretary) and Chappers (Management Committee member Paul Chappell) have been great.

“It’s really well-run. It’s a happy club and a family club,” added the assistant manager.