SUNDAY marked the end of an era as former Devizes schoolboy Ken Palmer packed away his umpiring jacket for the last time after spending a lifetime in the first class game.

Palmer, 65, joined Somerset in 1955 after finishing his studies at Southbroom Secondary Modern School now known as Devizes School and forged a reputation as one of the country's leading all-rounders.

He made one England appearance, against South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 1964/65, lining up alongside the likes of Geoff Boycott and Ted Dexter.

Palmer's playing career ended in 1969 and he joined the umpires list for the first time 30 years ago.

A regular at Somerset's home ground in Taunton, Palmer also presided over 22 test matches and 23 limited over internationals and became one of the most respected men on the county cricket circuit.

Somerset's final game of the season against Durham Dynamos on Sunday saw him take charge of a county level game for the final time, and Palmer admitted it had been an emotional occasion.

He said: "I had a little bit of a lump in my throat. Cricket has been my life since I played for Devizes' second eleven at the age of 14.

"You get to go all over the country as an umpire and make a lot of friends. I'll still go down to Taunton, but I'll miss the others from around the country.

"I think I've got the respect of all the players I've dealt with over the years. You can tell if you are a good umpire if you have the players' respect, and I'm pleased I have it."

The Somerset stalwart, whose brother and fellow umpire Roy was born in Devizes, first picked up a bat after encouragement from his father Harry when the Palmer family lived at number 64, 40 Acres Road.

Palmer counts his father, who died aged 91 four years ago, as the biggest influence on his long and illustrious career in the game.

He said: "My father Harry used to play for Devizes and he was a great character. He helped me a lot.

"He used to put the nets up for me for a bat and a bowl and always used to bowl me out.

"He was a groundsman at Roundway Hospital and also at the cricket club and I used to give him a hand when I was about 12.

"Eventually the team at Roundway let me have a game there and were very good with me. I managed a few 20s and thought 'this is what I want to do'.

"I used to practice for an hour three times a week at Devizes when dad was up there and played men's cricket at the age of 15."

Born in Winchester, Palmer was knocked back by his home county Hampshire and also Surrey before finally making the grade at Somerset.

He said: "Hampshire didn't want me and I remind them of that every time I go back there. Apparently they had enough groundstaff at the time.

"There are a lot of hurdles you have to jump to get there in the first class game. I was once told I was too small to bowl by one Somerset coach, called Bill Andrews.

"But Harry Parkes saw me bat and said 'we've got to take the boy on'. I had three days down there and was offered four pounds ten a week to work on the groundstaff and go to the nets when required."

Palmer, who has lived in Taunton for 49 years, made more than 300 first class appearances for the Cidermen, scoring more than 7,500 runs at 20.73 and taking 837 wickets at a cost of 21.11 each.

In 1961, he became the first Somerset player since the second world war to achieve the coveted double of 1036 runs and 100 wickets.

Said Palmer: "They have given me a living and, once you have played for a club like that, you can never leave them. Taunton has been my home since I was 16."

Palmer played for Somerset in their first ever Lord's final 35 years ago when they took on Kent in the Gillette Cup. Appropriately, his final duty at the home of cricket was as the third umpire in this year's final.

He looks back on his umpiring career with great fondness and will always remember his experiences with cricketing legends like Curtley Ambrose and Richard Hadlee.

Said Palmer: "Playing international cricket was an experience and it is the same with umpiring. You have to have done it to understand what an experience it is.

"You are looking straight down the barrel when people like Ambrose, Walsh, Hadlee and Thomson are bowling and it might be a hot seat, bit is also a top seat.

"I always found the games with Australia and West Indies the most special and I love Lord's. It is the Mecca of cricket and, with 36,000 there, the atmosphere is electrifying."

The great Garfield Sobers is rated by Palmer as the best he has seen in action.

He said: "He could do everything. I was 12th man for England once against the West Indies at Lord's and Ken Barrington (ex-Surrey batsman) turned and said to me 'we're not playing against eleven, we're playing against 14 with him out there.'"

Palmer intends to remain involved in cricket following his retirement and will return to Devizes with 60-year-old brother Roy when the town's cricket club hold their annual dinner on November 8.

He said: "We're coming back for the dinner and the club are putting us up in the Bear. Roy and I are looking forward to having a good look around the old place again."