Ravenscar bowler Will Warwick reaches remarkable 1,000 wicket landmark

The bowler headed into their CPH Scarborough Beckett Cricket League Division Three match at Filey 2nds needing three more wickets to reach the 1.000 mark and he duly made it thanks to a spell of 3-17 from seven overs, his 1.000th wicket being the dismissal of Dylan Daniels clean-bowled for five runs.

Warwick, who made his Ravenscar debut on May 23 1987 as a 16-year-old, is still loving his cricket more than 35 years on.

He said: "Being a local lad I have always enjoyed playing for Ravenscar and still enjoy it now, as long as I can keep fit and enjoy it then I will still keep playing.

"I think that sport is very good for your mental health as it helps you clear your mind."

Fifty-one-year-old Warwick, who works for the fire service, added: "The 1.000th wicket was when I clean-bowled the young bowler Dylan Daniels who had claimed six wickets earlier for Filey, it was the third and final wicket I picked up.

"My teammates all celebrated with me and congratulated me on my achievement and a lot of the Filey lads also came up and said well done after the game, it was a great feeling and all thanks to club historian David Russell as he keep all the club records and keeps us updated when we are near to big landmarks.

"I have had some offers to join other clubs when I was at my peak 20 years or so ago but I never wanted to leave Ravenscar, it is where I grew up and is a great location too.

"I think being able to bowl 22 overs as an opening bowler back in the 1990s and 2000s before the limitations on overs came in has helped me to get to the 1,000 wicket mark.

"It is crucial that we get more younger players interested in joining cricket clubs if the Beckett League is to thrive, it seems a lot of the older players are keeping going for longer and at most games I bump into familiar faces I have played against over the years, the other week I got chatting to Simon Addison at Wold Newton who I have played against a few times over the seasons.

"It is not as easy to get so many wickets now that I am not opening the bowling but I am still enjoying my cricket, I took three wickets the week before the Filey game too so I am still doing my bit."

Warwick has also been taking a trip down Memory Lane recently thanks to some clipping to him by his mother.

He added: "My mum sent me some newspaper clippings the other week and it was fun to see how I was described as a the 17-year-old paceman, which then became the lanky paceman and then in recent years it has turned to the seasoned campaigner or veteran.

"I went along to a few matches when I was a teenager and then at 16 I got my chance to play and fielded long leg to long leg, but after a few matches I was given a chance to bowl.

"I then played until I was around 18 when I joined the Royal Air Force and when I was training I played a few games for RAF teams, but once I completed training I was able to come back weekends to play cricket for Ravenscar again."

Warwick has taken his 1,000 wickets at an average of 15.61. He has bowled 4,985.3 overs for Ravenscar, with 854 maidens, conceding 15,607 runs.

Warwick has taken 729 wickets in the Beckett League at an average of 15.68 from 4,121.3 overs with 793 maidens.

He has claimed 249 wickets in the Evening League at an average of 14.58 from 689.5 overs with 243 maidens.

Warwick also bagged 17 in the Derwent Valley League and 12 in memorial matches.

He has had 41 five-wicket matches in the Beckett League and two five-wicket hauls in the Evening League/

Warwick's biggest haul in a season was 59 in 2001, with his career-best figures in 1998 when he took a brilliant 8-24 v Whitby.

He has claimed hat-tricks against Sewerby in August 26 1998 and at home to Wykeham B in the Evening League in 2018.