ENGLAND and Yorkshire cricketing legend Freddie Trueman bowled members of Thirsk cricket club over when he helped them celebrate the club's 150th anniversary in magnificent style recently.

The celebratory dinner dance, held in a large marquee at Thirsk Athletic Club and supported by local building company Severfield Reeve Projects Ltd, attracted 365 guests.

They were entertained by Mr Trueman's reminiscences of cricketing characters and events over the last 60 years, before being serenaded by the Caribbean steel band Casablanca.

Supporting speakers were club chairman George Gifford, Simon Barton, chairman of Thirsk Athletic Sports and Social Club, and Albert Pattison, honorary secretary of the York and District Senior Cricket League.

A superb display of the club's history, memorabilia and other archive material, researched by Pat Ruecroft and designed by Paul Dennis, was the main focal point for more than 100 past and present players. It helped create an occasion which will live long in the memory of everyone there.

A special bottle of commemorative beer, brewed and provided by club sponsor Nick Stafford of Hambleton Ales, was supplied to all the guests as a memento.

Mr Gifford and his band of helpers - Bob Hesk, Philip Robshaw, Pat Ruecroft, Monica Wyrill, Emma Fishwick, Debbie Petty and Samantha Palliser - pulled out all the stops to produce an event worthy of the celebrations.