50 years ago: Time is not important to village cricketers on long, hot summer days as players drift down to the ground and then to the pub after the game.

Who cares what time it is? Unless of course you're desperate for the points as title-chasing North Bitchburn CC were when they met Stanhope CC in July 1953.

Fifty years ago Stanhope bat first and make 131 runs in their 45 overs, thanks to a lusty knock of 83 runs by veteran Arthur O'Dell.

North Bitchburn, famous for their hatred of defeat, chase their target enthusiastically and Jack Pratt smashes the ball all over the ground hitting six sixes as he makes 56 runs.

However, time marches on and wickets begin to fall. At the end of the 44th over their score is 124 runs for nine wickets, seven runs behind the Stanhope total. At 8pm, the time when the league rules state that the game should end, a fact that had not gone unnoticed by the North Bitchburn officials who were shouting 'time' and claiming a draw and a share of the points.

Unfortunately for them, neither umpire had bothered to bring a watch and Stanhope were allowed to bowl the 45th over and gain a seven runs victory leaving North Bitchburn angry and pointless.

25 years ago

In the Durham County League Keith Hopper hits 85 runs for Crook Town CC, David Parsons scores 84 for Tudhoe CC while Arthur Willoughby finishes with 74 not out for Mainsforth CC. Etherley all-rounder Harry Allen is the top bowler on the day taking seven wickets for 33 runs.

5 years ago

Three young South Hetton cricketers make history by opening the bowling for three different Durham County sides on the same day.

Kyle Bradbury opened Durham's U11 attack against Cleveland, Tony Murphy shared the opening attack for the Durham U13 side against Lancashire, while Graham Race opened the bowling for the Durham U15 team who also played Lancashire.

Stephen Hepples, working in a butchers shop in Whitby, is selected by England to compete in the 5,000m at a junior athletics event in Alicante and thus becomes the first Loftus AC runner to win an England vest.