The funeral was taking place today of a former Exeter Express & Echo reporter who became one of Britain’s best-known Test cricket and rugby reporters.

Chris “Crash” Lander (59) died in Somerset on May 5 after a courageous fight against cancer. He leaves a daughter and two grandchildren.

Born in Plymouth, he worked for the Express & Echo in the 1960s.

He left Exeter to join Reg Hayter’s sports agency in Fleet Street and moved to the Daily Mirror as cricket and rugby reporter.

He regularly travelled to South Africa, Australia and the West Indies where he covered some 200 of England’s Test matches over the past 30 years. He also regularly reported on British Lions’ rugby tours.

He became ill in Johannesburg while reporting on the England cricket tour of South Africa earlier this year.

He had become a close friend of England stars such as Ian Botham, and he accompanied him on the first of his charity walks from John O’Groats to Land’s End. He was one of the few who completed the entire trek.

Today’s funeral service was taking place at Wells Cathedral at 2pm.

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