MYSTERY still surrounds a piece of local cricketing history which was dug up in a garden near Bridgwater back in the 1980s.

However, exactly how it came to be where it was, and who it belonged to originally is still unknown but hopefully it is something readers might be able to shed some light on.

The small replica silver cup that is about five inches tall and inscribed ‘Baker Cup -1957’ was discovered by Jerry Heyes over 40 years ago,

“I moved with my family to Andersea in 1982, and while clearing out under the road bridge at the bottom of the garden I found the cup under a heap of rubbish and broken bricks,” he said. “When I asked locals about it, they could offer no information as to who owned it or what it was for.”

The Baker Cup is a 20 over mid week cricket competition that was established in 1935 which is played for by local clubs with a final at the County Ground in Taunton.

In 1957 the Baker Cup was won by Wiveliscombe Cricket Club who beat Old Crocks in the final.

Jerry went on: “Years later when computers came in I did some research and found out more about the Baker Cup that was won in 1957 by Wiveliscombe, but got no further.”

Tom Packman, the long serving secretary of the Baker Cup competition, said ; “The minute book for 1957 says that at the AGM held on 30th April there was a proposition from Taunton St. James C.C. seconded by Wiveliscombe C.C. and carried that the expenditure on 11 ‘replicas' be limited to the sum of £12.”

This was quite a generous sum given that according to the Bank of England £12 in 1957 amounts to £256 in 2026!