HUNDREDS of people have turned out to pay their respects to a giant of North Wales cricket.

St Asaph Cricket Club stalwart Ken Hodgkinson died last week and his funeral was held at St Asaph crematorium on Monday.

St Asaph Cricket Club chairman Gareth Ryan said: "It was a sad day.

"It was a good send off celebrating his life.

"The cricket family turned out in droves.

"They came from as far away as Wrexham, Menai Bridge and Bangor.

"It was a big turnout.

"There were about 300 people there.

"What was good to see was that there were people of all ages there.

"It was what he meant to the cricket world of North Wales as a whole.

"He was just such a nice bloke."

Mr Hodgkinson was a skilful swing bowler and he started playing for St Asaph in the late 1940s.

He was captain of the club for four years in the mid-1980s, while he was synonymous with St Asaph Cricket Club in so many other roles, as a chairman between 2003 and 2010, as well as the club president, groundsman and coach.