NATO was formed, Clement Atlee was prime minister and Wolves won the FA Cup in the year Ken Rothwell first donned his senior cricketing whites.

Some 66 years later, Warrington Cricket Club’s vice president padded up to set a personal record of playing through eight decades.

Batting at number three, the 80-year-old made four runs from three overs for Warrington in their last Over Forties’ game at Ashley.

“I felt strange going for my usual ‘quick’ single to get off the mark; when my legs went wobbly and I wondered whether I would ever reach the other end,” laughed Rothwell, who moved to Appleton in 1969 but now lives in Frodsham.

“I batted number three, but only did it so I could say I had played into my eighties. They did actually ask me to play the following Sunday, so I can’t have been terrible!”

Rothwell started his club cricket career with Barton Hall CC in the Bolton Cricket Association League.

Opening the batting and keeping wicket throughout his career, the keen golfer is now on the Cheshire County League umpires panel and has no plans to retire.

“Not that I don’t expect not to be invited back, but it goes on your performance this year,” he explained.

“At my age you never know how you will be at this time next year, but I have no intention of retiring," he explained.

“My last game before that was when I was 72 and I played regularly until I was 63, but over a period of time I realised I was enjoying the umpiring more than playing.”

Rothwell, whose work for the CEGB first saw him posted in Warrington at the old power station, added: “I moved into the area in 1969 when Warrington had just moved to the new club, and played there until I was 72.

“When I first came the ground was very new, but the cricket was pretty poor. Within three years we had won the Manchester Association League. I was captain for two years then before Peter Davies took over.

“Ian Buttress was also in the first team when I joined, but I think they're the only two still around the club now from when I first started playing.”

Getting his first taste of cricket at Eccles Grammar School, Rothwell says the lack of schools playing the game now is the biggest difference he has witnessed.

“The league’s certainly got a lot more professional, with a small ‘p’, but there are not as many people playing,” he added. “The schools aren’t playing, that’s probably the biggest difference.

“Most clubs like Warrington have a thriving youth policy, but they have to do it themselves. They can’t rely on picking up kids from schools anymore.

“But Warrington have got a pretty thriving youth policy.”

And with the first team gunning for promotion from Cheshire County League Division Two, the former club captain Rothwell hopes they can see it through.

“I would hope they would go up because with the facilities and players they have, Warrington ought not to be in Division Two, they should be at least in the first division."