CRICKET: Dinton aiming high (From The Oxford Times)

CRICKET: Dinton aiming high

3:18pm Monday 19th October 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(6)

Dinton received their Division 1 championship trophy at The Oxford Times Cherwell League's presentation night and vowed to try and follow in Aston Rowant's footsteps.

It is the second year running that the title has been won by a village side – and last year's champions, Rowant, flourished after gaining promotion to Division 2 West of the Home Counties Premier League.

Indeed, Rowant would have topped the table and gained promotion to Division 1, but for being deducted 25 points following a punch-up on the pitch during a match against Basingstoke in August, pending a possible appeal.

Peter Ludlow, the Dinton chairman, said the club were confident they would at least hold their own at the new level.

“Since we gained promotion, we've had had approaches from players to join us,” said Ludlow.

“However, we will need to show a higher level of commitment than we did last season, when one of our senior players missed four games in a row.”

More than 200 attended the presentation evening at the Spread Eagle Hotel in Thame, where all the league trophies were handed out by Derek Holmes, editor of sponsors The Oxford Times.

In addition to all the divisional awards, Great Brickhill, from Milton Keynes, won the Peter Baker Trophy for the highest combined points tally achieved by their top two teams. Their first and second sides won the respective Division 4 and 8 titles.

For the first time, the individual batting awards were limited to non-overseas players. Martin Middleton, from Bledlow Ridge, won the first-team batting prize with 722 runs, while Witney Mills’s Pierre Lefort took the bowling award with 58 wickets.

Both the 2nd XI awards were won by Chearsley players.

Champions – Div 1: Dinton. Div 2: Bourton Vale. Div 3: Leighton Buzzard. Div 4: Great Brickhill. Div 5: Bicester & N Oxford 2nd. Div 6: Didcot. Div 7: Cumnor 3rd. Div 8: Great Brickhill 2nd. Div 9: Oxford Downs 3rd. Div 10: Kingston Bagpuize 2nd.

Derek Primett Memorial Cup (senior KO): Bourton Vale. Junior Cup: Horspath 2nd. Peter Baker Cup: Great Brickhill.

Individual awards – 1st XI batting: M Middleton (Bledlow Ridge) 722 runs; bowling: P Lefort (Witney Mills) 58 wkts. 2nd XI – batting: M Claridge (Chearsley) 817; bowling: S Cooper (Great Brickhill) 53. 3rd XI – batting: P Gladdy (Tiddington) 617; bowling: J Spooner (Bledlow Village) 46.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(6)