Berkshire man lands 1,000th wicket after 44 years of playing

Bowler Nic Downes, 68, made his debut for his side in 1974 - and now has got more batsman out than Sir Jimmy Anderson.

He didn’t actually start bowling for the club until 1982 which was when he took his first wicket.

His consistency has made him the most successful bowler of all time at Twyford & Ruscombe Cricket Club in Berkshire.

Cricketers celebrating Nic Downes' 1,000th wicket. // A cricketer is celebrating taking his 1,000th wicket for his club - 52 years after the first. Bowler Nic Downes, 68, made his debut for his side in 1974 - and now has got more batsman out than Sir Jimmy Anderson. He didn’t actually start bowling for the club until 1982 which was when he took his first wicket. His consistency has made him the most successful bowler of all time at Twyford & Ruscombe Cricket Club in Berkshire. (Image: Hugh Fort/Sarah Williams / SWNS)

He claimed his milestone wicket by getting Rich Fryatt of Elmhurst CC out LBW.

He said: "It’s a great feeling to finally reach the 1,000th wicket. It’s been looming in the distance for a while now.

"It was particularly special for me to see the excitement on the faces of the rest of the players, who perhaps were even more excited than me.

"It was fantastic that the catch for the 999th wicket was actually taken by a player I used to coach, which made it even more special.

"It was also really lovely to see the reaction of the Elmhurst players afterwards, it’s really what village cricket is all about."

After the match, both teams formed a guard of honour to applaud Nic from the field following a memorable victory for TRCC.

As well as being a master wicket-taker, Nic played a key role in the early development of the club’s junior section, which included his sons Tom and Joe.

Club Chairman Simon Burr said: "I'm thrilled for Nic.

"I’ve seen a great many batters fall to his bowling over the years. They’re not always out to the best balls, but Nic is always able to make something happen when he comes on to bowl.

"He’s been a tremendous club servant over the years who was integral to the club finding a new ground after a fire destroyed the pavilion in the late 1990s.

"He also set up the original junior section, which now has more than 150 children aged between nine and 15 loving their cricket every Friday night, and countless other vital acts that have helped steer the club towards what it is today.

"I look forward to see more over-excited batters falling to him for the rest of the season."

Figures show the record for most wickets in all formats is Muttiah Muralitharan with 1347.

Shane Warne took 1001 and James Anderson 991.