"Cosmo has really rallied the villagers and brought back to life a club that hasn’t played in a while. Not only is he looking for people to enjoy cricket, he is also making it a truly village event"
When the country went into lockdown in March 2020, Cosmo Taylor found himself unexpectedly swapping student life in Edinburgh for village life in Marsh Baldon, Oxfordshire.
With exams and lectures thrown into chaos and a long summer on the horizon, he could have done nothing. Equally, he could have spent his free time lamenting the cancellation of his planned year abroad in Rome.
Instead, he chose to resurrect the village cricket pitch, transforming it from an abandoned square into a thriving local club with dozens of members and a representative team in the first round of the Voneus Village Cup inside 12 months.
And it’s this community-spirited attitude which has led to Taylor becoming the inaugural recipient of the Voneus Village Cup Club Legend award.
Among the many members of The Baldons CC to nominate Taylor was club captain Stephen Dance, who described the magnitude of the task at hand and the lengths the student went to to breathe life into the village’s cricket scene.
“Marsh Baldon cricket ground boasts a long and unique cricket history but three years ago, following the death of its president and people moving away the club became moribund, with no matches being played and the wicket uncared for except for the occasional attention of a local rotary mower,” he explained.
Cosmo and friends hard at work repairing the square
“During the wet winter months of 2019, horses delighted in jumping the ropes protecting the pitch and indented their hooves into the wicket causing much damage. The club was dead and its assets – an antiquated roller and £800 – were given to the Parish Council.
“Enter Cosmo Taylor. Locked out of his year abroad due to Covid-19 and a keen cricketer, he set about reviving the club and its pitch. He galvanised the community, spent days and weeks repairing the hoof marks, restored the rickety pavilion, secured a grant from the county council to spread loam and reseed the wicket, and during the summer of 2020 he organised a series of village matches and friendly matches with sides from elsewhere.
“During the winter, work continued as the grass grew and by spring 2021, the club is fully functioning with members, a fixture list, a mobile net, and a line of keen potential players with ages from six to 60 and beyond. Cosmo Taylor is a club legend and single-handedly saved Baldons CC from extinction.”
Dance’s words, particularly the opinion that Taylor ‘single-handedly saved the club’, were echoed by his other nominators. However, it’s not just the return of cricket which has delighted members, but the creation of a social buzz around the village.
“Cosmo has really rallied the villagers and brought back to life a club that hasn’t played in a while,” said club manager, Jonathan Langstaff-Ellis. “Not only is he looking for people to enjoy cricket, he is also making it a truly village event, with strong encouragement for non-players to attend and enjoy.”
“This year there are nets on a Thursday evening with many of the youngsters in the village attending, some of whom have never played cricket before,” continued women’s captain Debbie Dance.
“It would never have happened without him and he has transformed the atmosphere in the village, bringing the community together at this tricky time.”
Meanwhile, Zoe Day, head of marketing and communications for Voneus, added: “We want to congratulate Cosmo for being named a Voneus Village Cup Club Legend. His dedication to the sport of cricket, Baldons CC and his community overall has been very inspiring to us all at Voneus. You’re definitely a legend Cosmo!”
And it is a testament to his commitment that when he is eventually tracked down to talk about his award, Taylor is at the cricket club, painting the boundary in the rain ahead of the club’s first home fixture of the season.
The Baldons CC
“It’s quite a nice surprise!” he 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 just had nothing else to do! I started mowing it and then everyone started getting involved. We did a load of crowdfunding for a net and raised £900 – it has been amazing, just the support from the village!”
This season, The Baldons have around 12 fixtures in their diary, one of the first of which was their Voneus Village Cup clash with Oxford Downs. They received a harsh reality check – a thumping 376-run defeat – but according to Taylor, everyone had a good time.
“Everyone enjoyed it, even if it did get a bit brutal,” he laughed. “We always used to enter the cup, so it was good to come back and see what the big guys are doing, it’s something to aim for. Even though it didn’t go particularly well, it’s great fun to be in such a big competition and we hope to do a bit better next year!”
However, for now, Taylor is just focussing on enjoying the club’s first full season since re-opening and finally getting to practice his Italian in Rome, even if it is just for a few months. And, after the work he’s put in over the past 12 months, he certainly deserves a break!
After each round we will name one Voneus Village Cup Club Legend. Nominate your legend by clicking here
Cosmo Taylor will receive a £100 voucher to spend at Owzat-Cricket for being named a Voneus Village Cup Club Legend
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