Broadcaster and talented cricketer Peter Baker, who died recently at the age of 55, was remembered at the Classic Press Cherwell Cricket League presentation evening at the Spread Eagle Hotel, Thame, writes Russell Smith.

In presenting the Radio Oxford Trophy, guest of honour Simon Porter, the Oxfordshire Cricket Board chairman and former league chairman, told clubs that it had been the brainchild of Peter Baker's.

Porter said: "He was a former press officer for the Cherwell League and he did a lot for us. It is a sad loss.

"It was his idea that there should be a club of the year. That was his view and that is how the Radio Oxford Trophy came about."

And in handing it over to joint winners Kimble and Tiddington, whose 1st and 2nd XIs finished with the same number of points, he added: "In the circumstances, I regard this as the Peter Baker Trophy."

Banbury Twenty, whose future with the league remains uncertain as it has yet to be decided whether they will be going into the Western Feeder Division of the Homes Counties League, received the Division 1 trophy. And it proved a record-breaking summer of individual performances although none of the winners was on hand to pick up their awards, with some of them in different parts of the world.

Thame's Indian all-rounder Manoj Parmar set a new 1st XI batting record of 1,039 runs, beating Oxfordshire skipper Rob Williams's previous mark of 961 for Bicester & North Oxford, set in 1995.

Kimble's Pakistani leg-spinner Salim Fazal took an amazing 69 wickets to smash the previous best of 56 set by Richard Williams (Leighton Buzzard), also in 1995.

The 2nd XI bowling record went to Bicester & North Oxford's Andrew Wingfield Digby, who produced a new record of 56 wickets, and the 2nd XI batting award was won by Shipton-under-Wychwood's Anthony Prior-Wandesforde with 611 runs.

Meanwhile, the search is on for a new sponsor after league chairman Derek Primett told clubs that Classic Press had decided not to continue their backing next season.