The exhausted but ecstatic team finally put their bats down at 4.20pm on Saturday (August 31), after playing for 168 hours and 20 minutes. The ambitious club had taken on the challenge in order to raise funds for a new pitch and amassed a staggering £35,000, with 20 per cent of the donations going to the charities Sue Ryder and Mind. The club beat the previous record of 150 hours set by a team in Loughborough, and they couldn’t be more thrilled. Club chairman, Barry Jiggins. said: “Everyone’s euphoric. “When they broke the record and came off the pitch we had a guard of honour with the crowd applauding. It was a lovely finish for them, superb. “The highlights were the rain storm, and one of the lads did a miraculous catch on the boundary at night.” After a slump in spirits on Thursday evening, the team were feeling fired up on Friday when they broke the Loughborough record at 10.14pm. Barry said: “We had poppers and confetti at night under the floodlights. Stunning.” Throughout the week, the public also visited and enjoyed discos, picnics and more. Barry added: “The 24 players deserve credit for what they stuck through; I’ve huge respect and love for them. “I would also like to give a special mention to committee members Chris Bruce, Max Hurst, Alice McGilley, and George Hutson for pulling this together. Thank you to ‘Cubby’, the stewards, umpires, the committee, and everyone who gave up their time to come and watch. It’s brought back village life and what it means.” The club still needs to raise more money for the pitch - so watch this space - but Barry hopes their record won’t be broken until the next generation of players comes through.