WARINGSTOWN Cricket Club have honoured Roy Harrison by naming the pavilion at The Lawn after the club's most influential figure of the last 50 years.

A first eleven cricketer on t he field for more than four decades and a driving force off it throughout his life, the honour coincided with Harrison's 70th birthday at the weekend.

Many Waringstown legends, past and present, attended a surprise party in his honour, where Roy and wife Muriel discovered for the first time that the pavilion was to be named after him.

'For the club to name the pavilion after me is the biggest honour anyone could wish for,' he said. 'It's an absolutely tremendous honour. It's something I never thought would happen, not in my wildest dreams. It's not only an honour for myself, it's an honour for my brothers and sisters, for my two sons, and the whole family. It's something we're all very proud of.'

Harrison played for Waringstown's first eleven from the 1950s to the late 1980s, during which time he made more than 9,000 runs and took more than 300 wickets.

He played on numerous occasions for Ulster Country in inter-provincials and was an Irish international, like his brothers Jimmy, Deryck and Garfield. The first of Roy's three caps came against Worcestershire in 1967.

He played in some of the great Waringstown teams, including the all-conquering side of the 1970s, which swept all before them in NCU cricket.

An opening batsman who batted with trademark grit and determination, he turned out in an amazing 15 Challenge Cup finals, the last in the twilight of his career in 1987. Famously, in that match he played an inspired role with the bat alongside Alan Waite against Lurgan, paving the way for yet another Waringstown victory in the two-day showpiece at Downpatrick.

His influence off the field at The Lawn has been every bit as important. He was a key influence in th e construction of the new pavilion at the end of the last century, and the new practice facilities.

Harrison has also been a major influence in Ulster and Irish cricket. He was president of the Northern Cricket Union in 2001 and the Irish Cricket Union in 2006.

Waringstown chairman Ivan Anderson paid an emotional tribute to his former Waringstown, Ulster Country and Ireland team-mate.

He said: 'Roy's contribution to Waringstown Cricket Club is unparalleled. He has dedicated so much of his life towards working for this club, and for the club to name the pavilion in his honour shows the unbelievably high esteem in which he is held.'

Some of the greatest players in Waringstown's history were at The Lawn to congratulate Roy on his 70th birthday. Anderson, probably Waringstown's finest ever cricketer, and Roy's five brothers were joined by Michael Reith and Eddie Bushe, key members of the great 1970s team.

The 1980s and 1990s sides were also out in force, including David Dennison, one of the greatest opening batsmen in Waringstown's history, Alan Nelson, arguably their finest ever seam bowler.

From the current era, Kyle McCallan, Ireland's most capped player, was in attendance, along with the current club captain Jonathan Bushe.