The great paradox of Alfie Linehan was to be found in his disposition on the cricket field and off it.

At the crease, his was a belligerent style, hitting the ball farther than anyone else, compiling his runs in a manner that kept the scorers busy. Beyond the boundary!

Robin Walsh and Alfie Linehan at the Belfast Telegraph awards in 2007

Yet this domineering, almost bullying, approach belied one of Irish cricket's truest gentlemen off it: soft-spoken, never a word that offended, never a word against him.

In one of the most distinguished legacies to the local game, the late Downpatrick farmer captained the Ireland team before turning to administration in the roles of chairman and president of the Northern Cricket Union and president of the Irish Cricket Union.

Yet it was where it mattered most, at the grassroots of the game, that Alfie left his indelible mark.

His devotion to the Downpatrick club and its famous international ground The Meadow was boundless and life-long, from underage player to captain of the club, coach and ultimately chairman and president.

He either played or captained Downpatrick in five NCU senior league, three senior cup-winning sides and an Irish Senior Cup triumph along with his older brother Hugh, another talented batsman whose death at the age of 58 dealt a terrible blow to Alfie.

The Downpatrick side containing Alfie, Hugh, and Paul Linehan which won the 1985 Irish Cup

In later years it was a source of great pride that Hugh's son Paul was to captain the club and daughter Anne played for Ireland. His wife's nephew James Cunningham also captained the club.

Alfie's hard-hitting ways over four decades from the 1950s took him to 11 Irish appearances - six of them as captain - in the days when international caps were much less liberally awarded, and his contribution to the success of NCU representative cricket has rarely been equalled.

Administration was an endless labour of love at local, provincial and national level. Such was his accommodating nature that he chaired countless committees ranging from solving an umpire shortage in the NCU to raising funds at ICU golf days.

ICC Chairman Malcolm Speed with Alfie Linehan at Stormont in 2005

His contribution to his local community extended far beyond the boundaries of the cricket club.

In his day he was a member of the NI Sports Council, a director of his local hospital trust and president of Ardglass Golf Club.

Alfie's friends were legion, none more close than Cecil Walker, that leading light of the Lisburn club.

Their playing days over, they travelled the world with their wives watching international cricket and storing delightful memories of new friendships, whether tales of the Bodyline era over tea with Harold Larwood at his home in Sydney or a fond mention by David 'Bumble' Lloyd from the commentary box.

Of all that's been written down the years about Alfie Linehan, one game has been overlooked and yet it speaks more than any of his commitment to Downpatrick.

It was Saturday August 8 1970 and Downpatrick were due to play Lurgan. It was also the day of Alfie's wedding to his beloved Mary. No problem: wedding in the morning, cricket in the afternoon, reception in the evening, off on honeymoon the next day.

Mary and Alfie Linehan with Happy the dog watching a game at Downpatrick

Of all the tributes paid to Alfie none has been more significant than that on BBC Television's Sports Personality of the Year programme last December.

He was included in the prestigious roll of honour of international sports personalities who had died during 2019. The programme called them 'special people'.

Alfie Linehan with Roy Torrens after Ireland beat England at the 2011 World Cup

My own personal memory of Alfie will always be the toast he invariably delivered at the end of an evening's conviviality, of which there were many: