THE LOCAL sporting community is mourning the sad loss of Darby Ash who has passed away in Musgrove Park Hospital aged 90.

Darby was born in Wellington and started his cricket career playing with Ashbrittle before going onto play for Holford. However he will be best remembered for his involvement at Stogumber where he was one of the driving forces behind the revival of the cricket club.

He was involved in the acquisition and establishing of a new cricket field and building a pavilion. In his playing days Darby, was an all rounder.

He recalled: “I played for Stogumber back in the 1960s before they folded. However, in the late 1970s, Taffy Jenkins and myself decided to try to get a cricket club going again.

“We started with nothing and played at Crowcombe after we’d formed the club and the odd game at Kilve and then in 1992 we bought the ground and opened it in 1995.”

Taffy Jenkins, another who was heavily involved in getting Stogumber re-started, said: “All the work to buy the land was done by Darby Ash and the trustees who raised the money to buy the land, which was back in the late 1980s .He was our first chairman and organised a £20k loan from Bass the brewers.

Cliff Matravers, who also played a key part in the revival of Stogumber Cricket Club where he has been involved for over 40 years having played, served on the committee and been treasurer for many years said: “Darby was one of a kind and was a man you always went to when you wanted to get things done.

“He was an excellent organiser and was really good at man management and could get anyone to do anything.”

The funeral for Darby Ash will take place at Taunton Crematorium on Thursday, April 2 (12.40pm.).