by Mayukh Ghosh
"I worship Cardus", he once said.
But then , a few years later, he probably understood the flaws in Cardus' work.
He wrote, "I believe that in sports reporting it is essential to be honest, and not betray any confidences. If you do, you've got a story but you've lost a news source, and, perhaps a friend."
That defined how he operated.
Dick Brittenden had a rough war. Like many others, once the war ended, cricket made life easier for him.
In 1955, he was instrumental in setting up a sports department at The Christchurch Press and remained the editor till the mid 1980s.
People bought the newspaper to read his articles.
The turning point in his career was the Johannesburg Test match in 1953, famous for Sutcliffe's and Blair's heroics.
He wrote, "We were all white as sheets and the top South African writer Louis Duffus, had tears running down his cheeks."
Silver Fern on the Veldt happened and Brittenden became a well-known name in cricketing circles.
Another 14 books followed.
Lynn McConnell says, "Some of his books are the only real connection many people have with the past of the game here."
Brittenden, along with Don Cameron, inspired a generation of New Zealand cricket writers who went on to produce some under-rated gems.
Rob Franks remembers meeting him in the early 1990s:
"Dick was a lovely man. I was fortunate to spend an afternoon with him at Lancaster Park in the early 1990s. Also, invited to visit his home to chat & watch cricket on TV a few days later. We corresponded for a while & I have several letters."
A nice man who is largely forgotten.
If he was alive, he would have chuckled at that before going out for a round of golf.
And there too, as David Frith once found out in Wellington, 'he would be very understanding of the faulty play and irritating stoppages for lost balls'.
Dick Brittenden was born on Aug 22, 1919