Geoff Deighton racked up a new milestone in Vale League cricket after taking five wickets in a cup match days before his 70th birthday.

The Copmanthorpe IIs veteran took five York casualties for the loss of 58 runs in the same week as notching incredible 55 years of playing.

Deighton played his first match for Askham Bryan 55 years ago after joining the team as a 15-year-old and defied the odds to take five wickets in Copmanthorpe II's first round Scothern Cup game against two divisions-higher York.

He took the first two wickets then had to endure the agony of seeing the number two and number three batsmen dropped off his bowling before going on to clinch a 5-58 total from nine overs.

York ended up on top after notching up 266-8 to Copmanthorpe's 175-7.

"I'm just a right-arm slow bowler," he honestly suggests. "I don't do anything with it, just variation of line and length. I was quicker in my younger days.

"I don't know if I am the oldest. I must be getting on that way. There's one or two getting on a bit."

In an intriguing twist of irony, Deighton came face-to-face with old team Askham Bryan YPO the day after his birthday - and the teams drew.

Highlights of Deighton's cricketing career to date included captaining Askham Bryan and twice winning the Prendergast Trophy in the 1970s.

But Deighton's expertise hasn't always been with the ball.

He said: "I used to open the batting for Askham. I suppose you could say I use some of that experience against the openers now."

He rates his career-best batting score as "60-something" with the 5-58 against York "about as good as I've ever done" with the ball.

"I have always played cricket - it's been my life really. I also play badminton all the year round.

"Probably if I didn't play badminton I wouldn't be fit enough to play cricket so as long as I feel as I do now I will carry on until I feel that I don't enjoy it or feel that I'm letting the team down."

Updated: 10:45 Thursday, May 26, 2005