TONY BAKER: GENTLEMAN AND PLAYER

Retired Hampshire Cricket Chief Executive, past Southern League chairman and outstanding Old Tauntonians all-rounder cricketer Tony Baker has died after a long illness.
In his playing days he was a leading all-rounder, opening the batting and bowling for the powerful OTs side of the Sixties and Seventies and for Southampton Touring Club on Sundays.  He was a leading basketball player in the region.
He combined his cricketing talents with organisational skills and, during his time with the Touring Club, was secretary, fixture secretary and treasurer – all at the same time !
His involvement with Southern League cricket was immense, initially as treasurer then the league’s chairman, prior to taking up his role at Hampshire.
Professionally, Tony was a partner with the Winchester-based accountancy practice Brooking Knowles & Lawrence (BKL), a position from which he switched to become Hampshire’s Chief Executive from 1986 to 2001. He was previously treasurer at Northlands Road for about eight years.
A full tribute will appear here later.