![Beryl Edwards (left) was the scorer for Albury and Border's winning Country Week team in 1990. She later became the first female life member of the association. Beryl Edwards (left) was the scorer for Albury and Border's winning Country Week team in 1990. She later became the first female life member of the association.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/PhHnA5GT9TJUUFksUAkH55/f003595a-15ad-4e92-9353-b49bd55cca7a.jpg/r154_462_4217_2513_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
ALBURY and Border’s representative cricketers were a talented bunch in the late 1980s.
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But they could also be a handful.
It took a special type of person to keep the Melbourne Country Week side on the straight and narrow and Beryl Edwards was charged with that responsibility.
Beryl, who died aged 78 this week, was the team scorer for six years.
“Beryl could keep the rat bags under control, don’t worry about that,” long-time Albury and Border team manager Joe Wooding said.
“We had a few characters in the side back then and she used to run a swear jar.
“Every time one of them swore she would fine them.
“She really was a wonderful lady who had the respect of everyone.”
Beryl had the pencil in hand when the ABCA charged to B grade, A grade and provincial titles in 1988, 1989 and 1990.
Her final match at Country Week was the association’s provincial victory over Bendigo at the MCG.
“We had some great times at Country Week,” Wooding said.
“One year we went out to dinner and found ourselves in this you beaut fancy restaurant.
“The problem was they had snails and other things like that on the menu so we turned around and ended up down the street eating a hamburger.”
Beryl was introduced to Border cricket when her sons, Rod and Craig, started playing at Lavington in the early 1970s.
She soon became the team scorer and went on to serve as club secretary.
Beryl took over as the ABCA’s first female secretary in 1982-83 and spent eight seasons in the position.
She was the official scorer for the World Cup match between England and Zimbabwe at Lavington on March 18, 1992.
Beryl received life membership in 1990.
She is survived by her children Bruce, Rod, Craig and Karyn.
“She had a great innings,” Rod said.
“I remember her sitting at the kitchen table with a scorebook watching the cricket on television.”
Her funeral will be held at Lester and Sons in North Albury from 10.30am on Monday.