North Bitchburn CC stalwart Graham Dunn hit 104 not out against Plawsworth CC and 44-year-old Graham was not sure whether it was his seventh or eighth hundred for the little village team.

Graham said: "I'm not sure how many hundreds I have hit for North Bitchburn, it's 7 or 8, but I can definitely remember the first which was in 1976 against Fishburn CC."

North Bitchburn batted second and were chasing a Plawsworth total of 164 runs in the Roseberry NE Durham League Div 2. Graham added: "I opened the innings and the first over was that difficult to play I thought there was no way we would get the runs. We were soon 10 runs for two wickets until Alan Breeze joined me at the crease. I said to Alan we'll just stick in and see what happens and we managed to take the score well past 100.

"The funny thing was when I got to 94 we were fast approaching their total so I thought I'd try and hit a 6 to reach my century. I went for a big hit but the ball went straight to a fielder, luckily he dropped it and I reached 95. I then hit a six off the next ball."

Apart from two seasons with Bishop Auckland CC when he was in his early teens Graham has spent all his cricketing days with North Bitchburn and started playing regularly in 1974. "I'm groundsman, treasurer and quiz master on a Wednesday evening for the cricket club quiz and I've been coming to North Bitchburn since I was a little lad as my father Les was an opening bowler with the club."

Top marks to Graham who is in his 30th year with North Bitchburn and has done much to keep cricket alive in the tiny South West Durham village.