“He was one of the greatest ever players and an even better bloke.”

Those are the words of former Gloucestershire cricketer Andy Brassington who, like everyone else in the cricketing world, is today mourning the death of the great all-rounder Mike Procter.

Procter died on Saturday at the age of 77 and wicketkeeper Brassington, who played for Gloucestershire alongside the South African in the 1970s and early 80s, said: “He was a great man, he had time for everyone, you couldn’t meet a nicer person.”

Procter was a legend of the game even though he played very little cricket on the biggest stage of all due to South Africa’s banishment from international cricket for much of the period when he was in his prime.

Instead, Procter made his name as a fearsome fast-bowling, big-hitting all-rounder for Gloucestershire, a county he played for from 1965 to 1981 and one which he helped win both the Gillette Cup and the Benson and Hedges Cup in showpiece cup finals at Lord’s.

“He never really left Gloucestershire,” continued Brassington. “He was Gloucestershire through and through. Gloucestershire loved him and he still loved Gloucestershire.

“I talked to him regularly and he was still coming over regularly. We were part of the same WhatsApp group and he congratulated Mark Alleyne when he was recently appointed the club’s new head coach.”

Procter played in an era when there were some great all-rounders – Gary Sobers, Ian Botham, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev and Richard Hadlee – and Brassington added: “He played hard on the pitch but enjoyed life off it.

“We won so many games with him in the team, he could do everything – bat, bowl, catch, field, he was the complete all-rounder.

“There were so many great memories but maybe the standout was that hat-trick of lbw’s at Cheltenham.”

That was against Yorkshire in a county championship game in 1979 when Geoff Boycott was at the non-striker’s end as Richard Lumb, Bill Athey and John Hampshire came and went in a few magical minutes pf mayhem.

David Partridge, another former team-mate, was also a huge fan of Procter.

"He was an amazing man, such a kind person," said Partridge, an all-rounder who is now chairman of Cheltenham Cricket Club.

"I grew up watching him play, we all wanted to be like him but of course we couldn't.

"When he was captain he was a huge supporter of mine, he always knew I would give 100 per cent.

"I remember one time I was left out, he had real difficulty telling me, he was an incredible person." 

Procter took 1,417 wickets in 401 first class games at 19.53 and scored 21,936 runs at 36.01.

His record in List A cricket was just as impressive, taking 344 wickets in 271 games at 18.76 and scoring 6,624 runs at 27.94.

In seven Tests he took 41 wickets at 15.02 and scored 226 runs at 25.11.

Gloucestershire’s flag at their headquarters in Bristol has been lowered to half-mast and will remain there until the start of the County Championship season in recognition of Procter’s incredible life and career.