Gary Bolton celebrated scoring his 15,000th run for Guisborough when he made his 725th appearance for the Darlington Building Society NYSD League club.

It was in 1983 that Gary left his native Marton and joined Guisborough, making his debut in the game against Hartlepool.

"Strange though it may seem, my recollection of that game 18 years ago was the size of the crowd. Guisborough had a very good side and attracted a big following and there is still a lot of interest in the club," said Gary who was born in Marton and played for his local club until he was 18.

After joining Guisborough, he opened the batting until 1997 and has played only once in the second team. "I have never been dropped but after breaking a finger I made a comeback in the Second XI and scored an unbeaten 106."

In all, Gary has recorded seven centuries - all of them unbeaten and the split of his 15,000 runs is 9,000 in the league and 6,000 in cup competitions.

A right-handed batsman, he now goes in at number five and is still enjoying every minute of his time at Guisborough.

"It is a great club and besides playing, I enjoy coaching on Wednesday nights.

I've been fortunate to get a lot of enjoyment out of the game and it gives me satisfaction to put something back," added Gary who believes that his father Jack has had a big influence on his career.

Gary's wife Diane is a big supporter of the game and his only son James, six, is already following in his dad's footsteps.