PHILIP Fussell, who played in two games for Somerset back in the 1950s, has passed away at the age of 93.

At the time of his passing Philip was one of the oldest surviving Somerset players.Philip Hillier Fussell was born in the village of Rode in 1931 and attended Monkton Combe School near Bath, where his natural sporting ability was identified and the young all rounder played in the First XI for four years.

Monkton Combe had a close affinity with Lansdown Cricket Club and during the school holidays Philip played for the club which is where he met up with Les Angell, who also went onto play for Somerset .When he left school Philip went off to work on a farm near Salisbury for two years during which he played no cricket.

In 1951 he returned home to live and work on the family farm and started to play cricket again. Later that year Arthur Wellard brought a Somerset team to play against a Rode side that included a 20 year old Philip who scored 50 on the strength of which he was asked to play for Frome.

Philip enjoyed considerable success at Frome and in 1953 was invited to go along to the County Ground nets where he caught the eye of both Bill Andrews and Harry Parks, the coach.

The tall all rounder impressed the county bosses so much that Somerset secretary Brigadier Lancaster asked Philip if he’d like to play cricket professionally. Philip asked his father who told him ‘where do you think thats going to get you ’- so he turned down the offer.

Philip played a number of games for the Somerset Second XI that season as an amateur and later that summer with several senior first teamers injured he was called into play against Nottinghamshire in the last game of the Weston Festival. In that match Philip got one wicket and was out in both innings to Bruce Dooland.

Afterwards skipper Ben Brocklehurst invited Philip to play in the next two away matches, but after talking to his father who told him he declined the offer. There was to be just one more first team appearance for Philip and that was in 1956 against Gloucestershire at Taunton over the Bank Holiday, during which he bagged a pair and remained wicket-less.

Philip continued to play cricket locally and in the 1970 was persuaded out of retirement to help Bath CC win the Western League.

Away from cricket he excelled at game and clay shooting and represented England for many years. At the age of 56 he was crowned Beretta World Championship in 1987.

Philip is widely regarded as one of the 100 best shots of all time and late in life he was still shooting to a high level. Just before his 70th birthday Philip took up golf and scored a hole in one!

As well as his sporting prowess Philip was a successful dairy and arable farmer and businessperson, owning a pub and steak restaurant in Rode, the village of his birth, for 30 years with his wife Jane whom he married in 1965. Philip lived a truly rich, diverse, and fulfilling life and will be greatly missed by all of those who had the privilege of knowing this larger than life character.