Perhaps the first protigé of the Strollers Youth Policy, since his introduction to the side as a nipper in the early naughties Mikey has become the ultimate utility man – firstly as occasional wicketkeeper before it was discovered one day in the nets that he, in fact, was a pretty dern quick bowler! With no harsher critic than himself, Ward can frequently be seen giving himself an incendiary talking to as he strides back to his mark on a Sunday which often serves so scare the oppo batsmen – so it’s OK. But it is in his capacity as a lower middle order batsman that Mikey is perhaps at his most fearsome. Time after time we have watched with glee as the opposition – believing the game to be won having rattled through the Strollers top order – are baffled as, in darkening conditions, “Good-Eyes” Mikey will march out to the middle, take a guard at square leg, and start carting the ball to all corners and, more often than not, over the winning line. Keep eating those carrots, Ward…

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