North Bitchburn CC put an eight-man Wearmouth CC team to the sword on Saturday, July 12 scoring a club record total of 333 runs for three wickets.

Chief run getter was 47-year-old Graham Dalton, who hit 115 runs, almost a year to the day when he hit his first century of his career for the club against Washington last season.

Andrew Morgan scored 98 not out while Alan Breeze chipped in with 71 not out. Morgan and Breeze set a new club record of 177 runs for a fourth wicket partnership.

Wearmouth, to their credit, did not go down without a fight and Andy Murphy, 28 not out, and Ken Bowmaker (66no) put on 102 runs for their seventh and final wicket to make the total a respectable 212 runs.

Watching the game was North Bitchburn president, 79-year-old Mr Jack Stitt, who had travelled down from his home in Hexham and former players Jack Prest, 77, and John Wood, 63.

Mr Stitt's family have a long tradition with North Bitchburn CC, his uncle was the legendary Weldon Curry, while his father, grandfather and great grandfather all represented the club. His great grandfather, John Stitt, was 71-year-old when he was vice-captain of the North Bitchburn team which won the Wear Valley League in 1898.

Mr Stitt himself made his debut for the club in 1938. "I was 14 and I came in last man when we needed 12 runs against Lands in a cup tie. I managed to keep my end up while Jack Pratt knocked the runs off.

"There were some great games and I remember another game with Lands on July 21, 1947 in the semi-final of the Challenge Cup when we made 97 runs.

They were 90 runs for six wickets and cruising to victory when Des Borrowdale came on to bowl and took four wickets in four balls to finish them off.

"There was also the day when we put Hunwick all out for 21 runs, but only got 20 runs ourselves."

Mr Stitt, Mr Pratt and Mr Wood all recall the days when they cycled to matches. "We even cycled to Stanhope," said Mr Prest, who made his Bitchburn debut in 1947. All agreed that Joe Pratt, grandfather of County Durham cricketers Gary and Andrew Pratt, did much to keep the club alive in the 1950s and 1960s, but what they could not agree on was whether the bus the teams changed in during the 1950s was a single decker or a double decker.

Mr Wood said: "I did my courting in that bus and it was a single decker."

The argument raged on and spectators were asked to give their verdict.

Harry Mawson and Norman Brown could not remember, while former captain Jonty Raine said over the phone it was a single decker bus.

We all left the ground at 7.45pm where Mr Stitt sat in his car said: "It has been one of the most enjoyable days of cricket I've had for years, but it was definitely a double decker bus."