One of the Island’s sporting legends, cricketer Anthony Edwards, has died of the injuries he sustained in a road crash on February 6.

The former Somerset Cup Match and Bermuda fast bowler sustained serious head injuries when his motorcycle collided with an open-back intermediate truck that was exiting Marley Beach Drive in Warwick.

According to family he never recovered consciousness and passed away yesterday morning in King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The Well Bottom, Warwick resident was 51 years old.

The death of Mr Edwards, widely known as “Pacer” for his bowling prowess, marks the end of an era in local cricket history.

“I can’t recall him playing cricket — I was too young,” his 21-year-old daughter Michellae said. “I just wish I had a video of it, or something to see.”

After nearly two weeks of hoping her father would pull through, Ms Edwards and family gathered last night in quiet tribute to a true sportsman.

“Not a day will go by that I won’t think about him. Every single time we spoke he always told me ‘I love you’ and I said ‘I love you too’ — that’s how we said goodbye.”

Her mother Antoinette Tweed, Mr Edwards’s former wife, told The Royal Gazette: “Cricket was his life.

“Preparation was the key. The night before a game, his big black suitcase was packed and his uniform ironed. He used to be at the game an hour before warming up.”

Her stepfather James Tweed said: “During these last two weeks, Michellae has been very strong — stronger than anticipated and keeping the hope alive, even after we got the bad news. That’s helped her mom and me remain in the same fashion.”

Of Mr Edwards, he said: “He came up at a time when cricket was truly cricket. He was an exceptional player — he had to be.”

Mr Edwards was nine years old when he was sent to Bermuda by his mother. He rose to prominence as a cricketer in the 1970s at Devonshire Recreation Club.

From there, he gained in recognition and was a member of the 1979 Bermuda Under-19 team that won the International Youth Tournament in Canada. Three years later, he was making a victorious debut in Cup Match, taking eight wickets. Then came the senior call-up and a distinguished run for Bermuda that lasted until 1994, when he and the late Terry Burgess spearheaded an attack in Nairobi, Kenya, that took the country to within one victory of qualifying for the World Cup.

“I would like to say that we have had a lot of support from the Devonshire Rec family during this time,” Mr Tweed added. “They’ve been there for us.”

Mr Edwards retired from playing in 1995 and worked as a motor mechanic at a variety of garages.

His family are making arrangements for a memorial service which will be announced in due course.

Mr Edwards is the third person to die in a road accident this year. Police have urged witnesses to the crash, or anyone with possible information, to contact Acting Sergeant Sean Hassel of the Roads Policing Unit at 247-1200, or at shassell@bps.bm.