COLIN White is marking his 50-year involvement with Shipley Providence Cricket Club with a charity match on Sunday.

The T20 game at Salts will be between Shipley Providence and Colin’s XI (1pm).

White, who has captained both the first team and second team at Prov, as well as being chairman, treasurer and groundsman – he spent the winter of 2006-07 renovating the damaged wicket at Salts after Shipley Prov moved from Coach Road - revealed that his debut for the then Bradford Mutual Sunday School League club came by chance.

He explained: “We used to have an annual match between Eccleshill Cricket Club and Eccleshill Community Centre Football Club, who I played for.

“In 1969, Eccleshill Cricket Club could not play us for some reason so Bob Leadbeater said to his dad ‘You used to play cricket for a club. Why not get in touch with them’?”

That club was Shipley Prov and Colin made about 30 runs in the match at Eccleshill Upper School.

“Who do you play cricket for?” Colin was asked afterwards. “I haven’t got a club,” replied Colin. “You have now,” said a Shipley Providence player.

The following Saturday – “it would have been the last Saturday in August or the first in September”, remembered Colin – he made his debut for the Coach Road club.

Colin said: “I went in No 10 and we needed 42 to win. I was just told to stay there as it was thought that we had no chance of winning.

“We soon lost our ninth wicket and a young lad came in and said to me ‘What do you want me to do?’ thinking that I was an experienced player because I was 28.

“I said ‘Just stay there’, I got 28 not out, we won the game and the rest is history, although for some strange reason I was told not to tell more than a dozen people about my innings, probably for fear of being poached.”

Colin’s team tomorrow includes Dales Council League officials Steve Wilkes and Ron Mackenzie and Salts FC players, and any donations will go to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Colin explained: “My mum Nellie had Alzheimer’s and died in 2007.”