Rugby Union: Baildon 26, York RI 5.

A dirty pair of shorts was proof that Andy Greaves wasn't dreaming about having made his first team comeback for Baildon.

But the 47-year-old grandfather had taken some convincing - particularly beforehand.

Greaves explained: "The skipper Phil Wilson rang me last Wednesday and said 'It's a 12 o'clock meet', and I replied 'That's a bit early for a second team match!'

"He said 'You are playing for the first team', and he added 'Will you play in the front row?', and I said 'No problem.' Mind you I normally play in the second row or the back row, and haven't really propped at all!"

Greaves then began to doubt that Wednesday's conversation had ever taken place. "I rang Chris Holt, the landlord of the Angel pub in Baildon, at 1am on Saturday to ask him if I was playing later that day. And he said 'Yes, you are', so I said 'I'd better get back to sleep then!'"

Greaves, a professional drummer with the Dave Lee Sound from 1968-80, lasted the 80 minutes without much discomfort.

"I enjoyed it," he said. And it must have warmed the cockles of his heart just as much as appearing on the same bill as Sacha Distel at the likes of Batley variety Club.

But for 'The Beast' Greaves, capably as he played in an improved pack performance, it may be a case of the last hurrah, and it could be back to a diet of second team rugby and selling karaoke machines with his company Beauty and the Beast.

Nevertheless, it was an important victory for Baildon as it enabled them to leapfrog their opponents into second place in Yorkshire Division Three.

RI took the lead with a try by fly half Dave Moore, but Baildon, who played down the slope first, replied before half-time with excellent tries by flanker Nick Murphy and lock Phil Wilson, scrum half James Dawson adding a conversion.

In the second half, centre Dave Hemming cut his way through from 35 yards out for a great try, and Wilson again showed his power for his second try. Dawson converted both.

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