Shipston bowler David Pyne will continue playing Cotswold Hills League cricket as long as he can

EXPERIENCED Shipston CC bowler David Pyne is proving age is no barrier and he hopes to keep putting Cotswold Hills League batsmen in a spin after recently surpassing 600 first-team wickets for the club.

The 62-year-old left-arm spinner celebrated reaching the huge milestone in the victory over Elmley Castle where he took two wickets to bring his first XI tally to 601.

After claiming another two scalps in the following four-wicket success over Cotswold Hills League Premier Division rivals Kineton, to bring his total to 603, Pyne told the Herald he will continue to keep playing cricket until his body eventually says otherwise.

“I did not have much thought about the 600 wickets. To me it was just another milestone, but it was quite nice to get it,” said Pyne.

“To be honest, I did not think about taking 600 wickets because I did not expect to be playing cricket this long.

“There was a point where I was stuck on 499 first XI wickets for about three-and-a-half years because I was playing for the second XI.

“The first XI had plenty of good spinners at the time, but when they left I was called back up and that’s when I managed to reach 500 wickets.

“I’m still well behind Dave Murphy in the club records, though, as he as over 800 wickets. I don’t think I’ll be able to beat him, as I’d have to live for a very, very long time to do that.”

Pyne added: “I’m 62 now so it’s all about taking it one year at a time. I will keep playing for as long as I can.

“Fielding is very difficult now and sometimes I have to rely on a few of the younger lads to do the fielding for me.

“However, as long as I can continue to bowl, that’s the main thing for me. I did try to play in the second XI for this year, but I was brought back into the first XI after one game.”

Pyne, who also plays for the Warwickshire Over-60s side, had been watching Shipston for many years before he was asked to join the club by then-captain Tom Hedderman around 1973.

The friendly nature of the club has been one of the main reasons Pyne has stayed with them for so long and whilst serving for the Navy he still found the time to put on the whites to play cricket for his beloved Shipston.

Having experienced so much with the London Road club, there is one particular memory that sticks out the most.

“We had a spell where we won the league six years on the trot,” said Pyne. “That’s probably the best memory as we had a really good team back then.”

Pyne has also had the experience of playing alongside the sons of former team-mates.

“They don’t take much notice of me, but we get on well,” he joked.