A trophy dedicated to the memory of a Melksham father-of-three found dead in his flat two months ago is to be given to promising young cricketers annually.

Keen sportsman Owen Lewis, 41, was found lying on his sofa at his home above the Libra hair salon in Bath Road at about 9.45am on March 20 after worried family and friends raised the alarm.

Mr Lewis was a former secretary, player and coach at Beanacre Cricket Club, which is now going to dedicate a trophy to his memory.

Phil McMullen, chairman of Beanacre Cricket Club, said: “Thanks to a kind donation from the family of the late Owen Lewis, Beanacre Cricket Club have been able to sponsor a magnificent trophy which, it has been agreed, will be awarded each year to the most promising young player.

“Their name will also of course be engraved on it for posterity.

“Youth presentation night takes place the first Friday evening in September, and it’s planned for the first award to be presented this coming September 4.

“We felt it was particularly appropriate that it should be awarded to someone from the youth side of the club, given Owen’s strong sense of family values and the hard work that he put in to promoting cricket for young people in the town.”

Mr Lewis’ father, Roy, said he approached the club with the idea and funds for having a trophy in his son’s memory.

He said: “The idea was raised by his brothers and sister and we developed it from there. We think it important that the youngsters should have something to aim for each year.

“Just about all the Lewis family played, and still do play, sports of some kind. None of us were much good but it was a source of great pleasure to us.

“So we want to encourage youngsters at the club in the hope that they will derive as much fun from the game as we did.”

Following his death, Mr Lewis’ father, who lives in Lincoln, said his son had led a life plagued by ‘stress and depression’ and that he had found it hard to find work as a heavy goods driver over the months before his death.

He said police had told him his son had been lying peacefully in the flat with the lights and TV still on. An inquest is due to be held later this year.

After growing up in Zimbabwe, Mr Lewis moved to England and married his wife Anne, who he later separated from.

The couple separated after more than 20 years together and had three children: Chloe, 16, Rhys, 13, and Megan, five.