A cricketer died after collapsing on the pitch - seconds after ending one of the most successful innings of his career.

Players and officials were stunned as desperate efforts at Southend's Southchurch Park failed to save "loveable giant" Dave Karchargis.

Southend fixture secretary Ken Porter, who also played in Southend 2nd XI's game, spoke today of the "total numbness" felt by everyone at the game.

Mr Karchargis, 40, captain of the Old Parkonians' 2nd XI and also a keen golfer, was known in the Essex sporting world as "the Honey Monster" because of his towering physique.

Mr Porter said: "He had just batted superbly to make 139 not out and as he walked off, he suddenly slumped and hit the ground very hard.

"I turned round to see him lying in front of the pavilion. It was such a shock.

"Phil Ross, our medical man, gave him heart massage and a passer-by tried to resuscitate him."

Paramedics arrived shortly afterwards and spent around an hour at the ground, trying to revive Mr Karchargis.

An ambulance spokesman confirmed: "Mr Karchargis suffered a cardiac arrest. He was not dead on the scene, but died shortly afterwards."

Mr Karchargis, from Loughton, was married with a young daughter.

He collapsed just after declaring his side's innings in the Shepherd Neame League match.

Southend's Ken Porter said: "He batted for around two hours in hot conditions.

"Some of our players noticed that he was showing very little movement when he was facing deliveries near the end of his innings, but he was also still running sharply and he seemed OK."

Chris Bunce, skipper of the Old Southendians team which was playing on a neighbouring pitch said: "We were all stunned.

"We could see what had happened. Our game carried on, but it was very sombre, very quiet."

Darren Ross, first-team skipper at Mr Karchargis' Ilford-based club, said: "He was larger than life in every sense and a real club man.

"His work involved shifting carpets around, so he was certainly quite a fit person."

Old Parkonians secretary John Clark said: "It's very hard to take in. We called all our games off."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.