Shortly before this year's Cup Match this young man attended the function held by the Officers Mess to celebrate the 80th birthday of retired Commissioner Fred "Penny" Bean where this photo was taken.  No prizes then for guessing when and where it was taken,  but we wanted to know who he is and why would he be visiting the Island during Cup Match?  When did he serve in the Bermuda Police? Who did he join with (can you provide the number of the Training School Course he attended)? What is his country of origin? What was his "claim to fame" from the moment he arrived in Bermuda?  And finally, what is very special about his wife and two daughters?

Former P.C. and Cup Match star Adrian King
 
The surprise guest at retired Commissioner Fred “Penny” Bean’s 80th birthday celebration hosted by the Officers Mess was, of course, legendary cricketer Adrian King who was visiting the Island for 3 weeks, including the Cup Match holiday weekend, no doubt to support his team  -  St. George’s Cricket Club.
Adrian joined the Bermuda Police in 1978, and literally on his arrival at the airport on 7th May he was signed up for St. George’s Cricket Club by Customs Officer, Mansfield “Bojangles” Smith, and played in the next Cup Match.  Born and raised in St. Vincent,  Adrian had an outstanding career as a cricketer prior to coming to Bermuda. He played for St. Vincent and the Windward Islands and one of his most brilliant performances was bowling against the Australians when he took 10 for 107.  
Adrian was a member of the Bermuda Police from 1978 - 1987 before heading off to live in the U.S, with his Bermudian wife Branwen (Smith) King who was also an outstanding athlete.   Whilst in Bermuda he played in Cup Match every year for St. George’s and bowled 228 overs, taking 35 wickets for 721 runs.  “Bojangles” son, another cricket legend, Wendell Smith, wrote an article in the Royal Gazette last year in which he says, 'Truth be told, if I were selecting a pace bowler for a “Bermuda Dream Team”, Adrian King’s name would be the first on the list. Not only was he supremely fit, but he was the quickest of the lot. He could be frighteningly fast.'  To read the article go to http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20150729/SPORT02/150729624
Adrian and his wife Branwen are now living in Boston where he is teaching and also continuing to play Masters cricket, especially Twenty 20.  He and Branwen have two daughters,  Akilah who works in Public Health and is an outstanding athlete, and Arantxia who at the age of 16 was the World Junior long jump champion in Morocco, and she has also competed for Bermuda in the Olympic Games in Beijing and London.  Arantxia is currently studying law in London.
Adrian loves returning to Bermuda whenever he can, and he would be delighted if St. George’s could return to their winning ways in the Cup Match Classic. 
Editors note  -  Adrian was on the same Basic Training Course as the following -  Mervyn Greenidge, Roseanda Jones, Ryvan Campbell, Eddie Spencer (who sadly just died earlier this in July), Juliette Powell, Roosevelt Marony, Steven Perinchief, Stephen DeSilva, Rosebelle Lambert, Gary Cruickshank, Norman Wilson, Kenneth Archer, Stephen Rollison, and Alsworth Holdipp.   Several of these officers were likely know by another surname so please let us know if that was the case.  For example, Adrian's first name is Anslem but he was always called by his middle name.
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Davie Kerr
I seem to recall that that intake included some very useful cricketers. I think Rosie Maronie, Ron Greenidge and Ryvan Campbell were among them.
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phil taylor
It may have been a couple of hours after Adrian landed in Bermuda, but the then PRC Bartender, Doc Steede, got a signature from him and ran off to St George's Cricket Club to register him as a potential player, before a Somerset supporter could do the same. Adrian played in the Cup Match Classic a few times in the days when the Cup stayed down the East end of the island.Editors note - Phil you are absolutely correct about the great rush to sign Adrian up to play for St. George's in the Cup Match Classic, but according to Adrian the first person to approach him was at the airport as he was passing through HM Customs on his arrival in May 1978, when Customs Officer Mansfield "Bojangles" Smith - a St. George's stalwart - who must have heard about Adrian's prowess on the cricket field even before he stepped off the plane. It's very likely that "Doc" Steede quickly picked up an application form for SGCC and signed Adrian up before anyone from Somerset could pounce! It rather looks like the Blue and Blues could do with another Adrian King if they want to win back the trophy!
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Davie Kerr
If I'm not sadly mistaken, that's Adrian King, with whom I worked in Hamilton not long after he joined. Excellent fast bowler, and also a very fast runner: his running talent got me out of a hole one afternoon when I was working at HMC, and a prisoner decided to do a runner with his hands still handcuffed behind him. He went out of HMC, up Parliament Street and right along Church Street, with me in hot pursuit but losing ground fast. Fortunately Adrian was on Church Street and took up the pursuit: by the time I got to Church & Court, he'd caught the prisoner at Court & Victoria!Adrian 's a good lad. If he's still on the island, tell him that a Scotsman who loves cookies sends his regards!Editors note - Not only was Adrian fleet of foot, his wife and two daughters are also incredible athletes.
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Terry
Looks like ADRIAN KING.Editors note - Spot on Terry
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