Tributes have flooded in for local cricketing legend Donald Douglas Holt of Oswaldtwistle, who died on February 16 at the age of 82.

Donald was a beloved husband to Beryl, a doting father to Daniel, Jocelyn, Alec, Naomi and Sam, and a dear father-in-law to Wendy, Karl, Tracy, Mark and Danielle. He was also a doting grandad and great-grandad, as well as a dear brother, brother-in-law and uncle.

Born and raised in Bury, Donald spent three years in the army as a Major’s batman.

After leaving the forces, he married Beryl in 1962. The couple expanded their family and set up a greengrocer in Radcliffe.

In the late 1970s, Donald moved into the butcher trade and launched Holt’s Butchers in Ainsley Road, Bury. A cornerstone of the local community, it was a hands-on family business for years, with Beryl and the children all participating in the day-to-day running of the shop.

When he wasn’t working, sports fanatic Donald could often be found at the Woodbank Cricket Club. A talented wicket-keeper, he played for the club’s first team.

He became chairman of the club, and when the Holt family moved to Oswaldtwistle in 1989, he was awarded a lifetime membership.

He began to work for the Altham-based business Simon Jersey, where he was a much-loved employee.

The move didn’t dampen his love of the sport, and before long, Donald was a highly-valued member of Church & Oswaldtwistle Cricket Club.

For more than 30 years he worked tirelessly and in various capacities as a volunteer, committee member, groundsman and chairman.

During his tenure as chairman, he focused on driving the club forward, and developing its junior cricket offering.

Keen to open up the sport to children at a grassroots level, he established a hugely successful after-school coaching programme in Hyndburn and formed the Hyndburn Cricket Development Group.

Daughter Naomi paid tribute to her dad, saying: “We are very proud of the legacy he leaves, not just with his family, but with the cricketing community as well.”

Don will be laid to rest on March 2.

Donations can be made in his memory to Church & Oswaldtwistle Cricket Club at www.crowdfunder.co.uk