A LEGENDARY cricketing figure whose charity endeavours have netted £14m in under 25 years says he is “delighted” to have been awarded a CBE.

Dr David English, a former cricketer, celebrity reporter, president of RSO Records and now founder and captain of the Bunbury cricket team was given the award in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

The Mill Hill resident is no stranger to Buckingham Palace, having visited in 2003 after being awarded an MBE.

The Nan Clark's Lane resident told the Times Series: "The Bunbury's is work I love doing to be honest, we work hard to raise money for charity.

"I certainly didn't expect anything but when it comes along it's a nice surprise.

"I was brought up in Hendon and learnt to play after school in Hendon Park, and I still get around there as often as I can.”

Dr English, who counts Sir Ian Botham amongst his close friends, grew up in Hendon, attending a number of local schools before getting a job on the groundstaff at Lords.

The 64-year-old went on to play for the MCC before moving on for a stint as showbiz reporter for the Daily Mail, followed by a spell at Decca Records.

In 1973 he started RSO Records and signed the Bee Gees and Eric Clapton, achieving a record nine consecutive number one singles on the American Billboard chart from one record label.

After a stint as an actor in both films and on TV he returned to his first love, cricket, and started the Bunbury team in 1987, which pits celebrities and players past and present together raising cash for cricketing charities.

He said: "What we wanted to do was raise cash for charities, but entertain people at the same time.

"We have raised £14m in 24 years for a number of charities, which is just fantastic. We get so many people wanting to come and play and some excellent former cricketers who now play other sport.

"Audley Harrison slipped out of the Olympics training camp to come and play a match and was throwing himself around in the covers and took five wickets, and then went and won the gold medal in Sydney."

As well as promoting international charities and helping children in the third world learn through participation in the sport the Bunbury's also host the most important English U15s tournament each year.

"We have had most of the current England side playing there, as well as people like Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan and at last count there were 189 who went on to play First Class cricket,” he said.

"We often play against some of these guys with the team and it's interesting to see how they have come on to teach us a thing or two.

"There's a real satisfaction to watch them play when they're 15 and watch them go through the ranks to the England team."