Skipper Robbie Eason lifted the championship trophy to cap Horspath’s record-breaking four divisional titles – and then dedicated the success to the members who kept the club alive.

The village club took the Spread Eagle Hotel, Thame, by storm to celebrate a remarkable season – just six years after their first XI were controversially placed in Division 5 following the demerger with Oxford CC.

Fifty-two Horspath members were present together with a lifesize cardboard cut-out of popular Australian batsman Sam Hay, who has returned Down Under.

Retiring league chairman Martin Phillips set the tone for a momentous night when he jokingly told the 180-strong crowd: “Welcome to the Hors-path presentation – no, to the Cherwell League presentation evening!”

Divisions ten, seven and six fell to Horspath 4th, 3rd and 2nd respectively, but the biggest roar of the night was reserved for Eason as he held aloft the Division 1 trophy.

The Horspath captain said later: “Since 2004 it has been remarkable. For the people that have been involved since the demerger and have rebuilt the club to come back here tonight is a fairytale.

“We could have gone down the pan, so this is for them.”

However, that wasn’t the end of Horspath’s collection of silverware.

Team manager Jonathan Stobart collected the Peter Baker Memorial Trophy for the club whose 1st and 2nd XI achieve the highest aggregate points.

And a special award recognising their unique achievement was fittingly picked up to prolonged applause and a chorus of ‘Championes’ from the players by Eason’s father, Max, who has been at the forefront of the club’s rise from the ashes of Oxford & Horspath CC.

Horspath chairman Ed Murray reflected: “We never set out six years ago to win the Cherwell League, it has been a natural succession of events.

“We will carry on until we find out where our level is.”

And Stobart added: “This is the culmination of a fantastic year and I think the special award we got was a nice touch.”

Notable among the individual awards was veteran Wallingford seamer Trevor Spindler’s 71 wickets, which brought him the 1st XI bowling trophy for a third time.

And Chearsley 2nd’s Mark Claridge became the first player to win the 2nd XI batting and bowling awards in the same season with 1,087 runs and 52 wickets.

But this night belonged to Horspath – and everyone knew it.

ROLL OF HONOUR Div 1: Horspath. Div 2: Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondescripts. Div 3: Great Brickhill. Div 4: Cropredy. Div 5: Great & Little Tew 2nd. Div 6: Horspath 2nd. Div 7: Horspath 3rd. Div 8: Didcot 2nd. Div 9: Chearsley 2nd. Div 10: Horspath 4th.

Derek Primett Memorial League Cup: Leighton Buzzard.

Peter Baker Memorial Trophy (1st & 2nd XI aggregrate points): Horspath. Special award: Horspath.

1st XI batting: Arshad Latif (Stokenchurch) 924 runs.

1st XI bowling: T Spindler (Wallingford) 71 wkts.

2nd XI batting: M Claridge (Chearsley) 1,087 runs.

2nd XI bowling: M Claridge (Chearsley) 52 wkts.

3rd/4th/5th batting: S Brunning (Buckingham) 415 runs.

3rd/4th/5th bowling: M Hemming (Shipton) 43 wkts.