GARY Pemberton claimed a best-ever return of nine wickets for 15 runs in a one-off appearance for Springhead’s fourth team.
The 51-year-old, who usually plays for Delph’s second team in the Huddersfield League, was asked to help Springhead who were short of players for their Sunday fixture in the Greater Manchester Cricket League.
“I only live two minutes from the ground so a loan was sorted out enabling me to play for them,” he said.
The fabulous return of nine wickets for 15 runs from eight overs – the best bowling figures of the weekend in the whole of the GMCL – was totally unexpected.
Gary, who runs a mobile car valeting business, explained: “I hadn’t played for two weeks after breaking a finger after trapping it in a door.
“I was also second-change bowler which again made it remarkable, but it was one of those days when everything went right.
“I got the first six wickets and then you start thinking about getting them all only for somebody else to take the seventh.”
Gary thought his chances of nine wickets may have slipped away when a catch was dropped but it didn’t matter as he cleaned up the tail.
“I once took eight wickets for nine runs for Austerlands, but that was only in a friendly,” he continued.
“This was my best-ever figures in a competitive match.”
It was not the best in Springhead’s history, however, as club legend Keith Lees once took all 10 wickets in a game.
Gary’s exploits came as a surprise as last summer he announced his retirement from cricket aged 50 following an illustrious career in which he began in the juniors at Moorside and played for Delph, Austerlands, Moorside and Saddleworth over a 36-year period winning every piece of silverware in the Saddleworth League.
But his proudest moment was lining up alongside sons Zac and Luca in Delph’s second team.
Gary admitted it was the shortest retirement on record – no matches.
He was asked to play again for the opening second-team match of the season when Delph were short of players.
Gary admitted: “I realised over the winter I was going to miss playing so it was great to be asked to turn out when the second team was mega short of players.
“I have to take Luca to games and would be watching all day so thought I may as well keep playing.”
Gary has made a successful return for Delph and is at the top of the league’s second team bowling averages.
He is lining up alongside Luca who this summer is also captaining Lancashire Under-14s and also appearing for the county’s U15s.
However, Zac will not be making it a family threesome as he recently switched clubs and joined GMCL side Saddleworth.
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