DENNIS HEATH
LIFETIME Achievement Award Nominee, CHoF 2026.
1963 – 1975
My Cricketing journey began in Hayes, Clarendon, Jamaica in 1963. At the age of 12, I was selected to play for my home District School “Hayes Primary” against Lionel Town School. In 1964, my parents decided that the future was in London, England.
Arriving in London, I attended a modern secondary school where I excelled both academically and in sport, cricket to be precise. In 1965, I was selected to represent both School and London Borough of Camden, at age 14. Pursuing my love of cricket, I joined my local Cricket Club, Northampton Exiles. I was the opening bowler and middle order bat. I encouraged and supported six of my school friends to become active-playing members of the club.
During my work-life experience, I actively participated and assisted with the formation of an after-work cricket team. We played twenty-overs matches against rival employers’ teams in the local area.
In fact, when I sought new employment opportunities in Bermuda, the first line in my supervisors’ reference letter said,
“Dennis’ Love of Cricket…….”
1975- 1985 & 1987-1989
In Bermuda, I joined a group of cricket enthusiasts promoting, teaching and encouraging the growth of Cricket Umpires. Additionally, I was the club representative on the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control, the national governing body for cricket in the islands of Bermuda. During my years in Bermuda, I was an active club member, player and a practicing certified umpire. In 1984, I passed the Written Examination of the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA).
1989 – 2019
I migrated to the United States, settled in California, and immediately became a certified Umpire and member of the Association of Cricket Umpires of Southern California (ACUSC). I served in the capacity of Secretary of the Association. Duties included regular administrative functions. Additionally, I conceived, researched, wrote and produced a monthly Newsletter for members of the Association. The objective was continuing education, and keeping umpires updated. The multipage document was typewritten on an electric typewriter (computer word processing applications were not yet available). This chore was time consuming and labor intensive over several days and nights. The end product was individually, folded, hand written addressed per envelope and mailed via United States Postal Service.
Additionally, I assisted with the recruiting, training and teaching of new Umpires, working with former CHoF inductee, Leo Magnus and others. My personal officiating match duties required my weekly round trip by car, traveling 200 mile plus round trip from my home in San Diego to Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Duty required early morning wakeup, with young family in tow, and late nights in notoriously bad Los Angeles traffic on the return journey, arriving home in the 10 pm time slot.
During the later years, emphasis was on junior cricket. I assisted the local San Diego Cricket Club’s efforts working with the boys and girls, officiating matches, teaching the laws of cricket and encouraging participation.
2019 –2024
In 2019, I retired from my day-job and more than 56 years of playing and officiating as an Umpire. My colleague and friend, Lynford Mckenzie from Houston, Texas, encouraged my participation on the weekly radio cricket talk show, hosted by founder Leon Francis and a group of panelists and contributors.
One year later, I was invited to become a member of the board of the Cricket Show USA. During absences and, illness and other emergencies, I assisted as a cohost on the weekly 3-hour broadcasts. The Show has listeners in many countries around the world, including USA, England, Caribbean, Australia and India.
In 2023, I was inducted into the first in the world, USA Cricket Hall of Fame.
2025 – Present
More recently, the cricket Show USA has changed format and platform, from a radio only broadcast to Livestreaming via YouTube and Zoom weekly broadcasts. I am the appointed secretary of the Cricket Show USA, and the principal host of the weekly broadcasts.
Currently, my duties and responsibilities occupy more than 8 hours of my time, seven days per week. Research, preparation, procuring, writing scripts, arranging guest appearances, and anchoring broadcasts are time consuming activities.
Notwithstanding an eight-hour workday, my first book, FOCUS ON THE LAWS OF CRICKET was published in September 2025. Proceeds from the book sale is earmarked for sharing with the Cricket Show USA and the Cricket Hall of Fame. No time to rest, the manuscript for book 2, is in preparation, another cricket related book.
Finally, this cricket life began in 1963. And play is still in progress 62 years later, with a vision of more years to come.