HIS side may have lost by eight wickets in the African sunshine, but a Bedale cricketer has made local history by playing for England.

Paul Grayson, an all-rounder who plays for Essex, was called on at only a few days' notice to cover for the injured Ashley Giles as England prepared to face South Africa in the ICC knock-out trophy quarter-final in Nairobi on Tuesday.

The result caused disappointment in the Grayson household, with 29-year-old Paul being out for a duck on his international batting debut, but local people remained proud of the fact that he had become the first Bedale-born cricketer to play for England.

If England had won, Paul's father had planned to fly from Newcastle airport with two friends to watch the semi-final against India today.

Mr Adrian Grayson, a retired teacher and a noted local cricketer in his own right, joked as heavy rain fell in Bedale: "That result against South Africa has cost me four days in the sunshine, but there's no point in going now that England are out of it."

He added: "It was obviously a very proud moment for all the family and the town when we heard Paul had been included in the side. It was disappointing that we lost, with Paul being caught out for a duck, but he bowled five overs very tightly.

"This had all happened so quickly since Thursday last week and we have had a lot of telephone calls from people who have followed Paul's career. They just felt this was something special and well deserved."

England captain Nasser Hussain summoned Paul to Nairobi as a stand-by for Giles and it was not until Tuesday morning that his family learned he was in the team.

Paul, who shares his name with an England rugby player, originally played school and county cricket in the Bedale area and was an opening batsman and left arm spin bowler with Bedale cricket club.

His professional cricket career began 12 years ago, when he signed for Yorkshire, but six years later he joined Essex, where he has opened the batting for the past two years.

His only previous representative cricket was as a member of the England under-19 team on a six-week tour of Australia ten years ago. Two years ago he was included in England's preliminary 32-man World Cup squad. During the winter he works as a representative for a Norfolk brewery.

Paul's brother, Simon, is a footballer who now plays at full-back for Blackburn Rovers following spells with Leeds United, Leicester City and Aston Villa.

l Bedale town council on Monday agreed in principle that the sporting achievements of the Grayson brothers should be marked in some way next year