He joined our message board in January 2003, and although I cannot remember now, I am sure he opened his account with a post that had us all in stitches. He'd announced his arrival and for much of the next three years and more he became a message board favourite with his wit and his put downs, and none of us will ever forget his “Postcards from T'Eejipt” series in the summer of 2003.
Away from the message board he was David Evans, retired maths teacher, and a keen local crown green bowler (he told us he always played last because he was top of the bill), but it is as a Lancashire League cricketer I first remember him, the fast bowler coming in on a long run for Bacup and then Nelson.
He had some wonderful tales to tell about the game locally, and none better than the day he played for Bacup against Todmorden in the Worsley Cup when the opposition fielded none other than the great Gary Sobers as substitute professional. Although Bacup were hammered in the tie, Eli declared it a draw because he didn't get Sobers out, but neither did Sobers get his wicket.
Lancashire League cricketer, school teacher, crown green bowler but above all Eli became a friend to so many of us on our message board. I'll miss him terribly, he became a good friend, and our pre-match drink in the Bridge will never ever be the same again.
Our prayers and thoughts are very much with his wife Yvonne and his sons Simon and Bryn at this dreadful time.
God bless Eli