Former Courier sports editor John Yarwood played for the club until 1962 and rates his three years of playing for the village as more memorable even than covering international test matches in Australia.

The team was drawn mostly from Whitnash residents, with the then village able to field enough players for a full programme of Saturday and Sunday cricket.

Mr Yarwood remembers Whitnash's stubborn opening partnership of Gordon Dingley and Norman Todd, and one game in which the enormously powerful Tony 'Twang' Lang mis-hit the ball so high upwards that players wondered whether it would ever return to earth.

Mr Yarwood said: "It seemed to be many seconds before it came back to earth, and of course the bemused wicketkeeper had no chance of holding the catch."

In the bowling line-up Mr Yarwood, Tony Lang and Norman England usually shared the new ball, while Des Harrison, Taffy Howell and Jim Wright were "top all-rounders" and John Hobbs a useful high-order batsman.

Work went on off the pitch, with wives and girlfriends preparing appetising teas for players in the clubrooms.

Mr Yarwood also recalls thirsty players from both sides quaffing "the odd glass of ale" at the end of the day.

He added: "We had a great group of guys - and fellows in those days still knew how to have fun on the cricket field. There was a terrific spirit in the club."