Obits in Brief: John Lyon

The cricketer John Lyon, who died in South Africa over the Christmas period aged 58, was a former Lancashire wicketkeeper.

Born in St Helens in May 1951, Lyon played 84 matches for Lancashire between 1973 and 1979, initially as a replacement for Farokh Engineer then as first choice for his last three seasons, taking 159 catches and making 12 stumpings. Although he was a limited lower-order batsman he did score one century, against Warwickshire in 1979.

Lyon was subsequently successful in Irish cricket, with Bangor and then Clontarf, where he also proved to be a capable coach. He later emigrated to South Africa, where he ran a sports bar while continuing to coach.