A UNIVERSITY student won a national award for reviving his village club during lockdown.

Cosmo Taylor restored the abandoned square and rickety pavilion at The Baldons CC in Marsh Baldon, near Oxford, and the club is now thriving.

They even entered a team in the first round of the Voneus Village Cup, losing to Oxford Downs by 376 runs, and the competition’s first ‘Club Legend’ award was presented to Taylor.

The Edinburgh University student said: “Everyone had been saying it’s such a shame because the club used to thrive, but it just became harder to get a team together.

“Everyone missed the cricket and wanted it to happen, it just needed something to get it going again.

“It was unclear if any cricket would be allowed when I started but I had nothing else to do; I started mowing it and then everyone got involved.

“We did a load of crowdfunding for a net and raised £900 – the support from the village has been amazing.”

The Baldons’ assets were transferred to the parish council in 2019 after the death of their president and players moving away put the club in a state of terminal decline.

Taylor repaired the pitch, restored the rickety pavilion and secured a grant from the county council to spread loam and reseed the wicket.

Last summer, he organised a series of village matches and friendlies with other sides.

Club captain Stephen Dance, who nominated Taylor, said: “Cosmo Taylor is a club legend and single-handedly saved Baldons CC from extinction.”