Former local cricketer Charles Dagnall is now one of the top commentators on BBC radio's iconic Test Match Special team. Ahead of the Cricket World Cup he tells Graham Hardcastle about his remarkable career in a three-part series beginning today when he says how he owes much of his success to Bolton's two amateur cricket leagues

CHARLES Dagnall is preparing to commentate on his first one-day World Cup as part of BBC’s Radio coverage – and the ex-fast bowler says his success in the game is largely down to Bolton cricket.

Bury-born Dagnall, now 38-years-old, played county cricket for Warwickshire and Leicestershire, only for his career to end prematurely due to persistent shin problems 10 years ago.

He started out in the game as a junior at British Aerospace before hopping between the two Bolton leagues prior to signing terms at Edgbaston in 1998.

“I’ve had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus,” he joked prior to jetting out to New Zealand ahead of the start of the World Cup on Saturday.

“I started off at British Aerospace, where I played all my junior cricket, before leaving for Heaton, then Horwich for a couple of years. I then turned pro for Astley & Tyldesley in 1996. They paid me £30 a week.

“Then I went to Walshaw as pro and Great Harwood in 1998 before getting signed by Warwickshire at the end of that year.

“When I look back now 30 years on, the junior sections were full with volunteers coming down running teams of a night, and I can genuinely say that if I hadn’t have had that at Aerospace or Heaton, I wouldn’t have got into the game the way I did.

“The Bolton League and the Bolton Association, I just loved it.

“And you know what, being called Charles in those leagues, you earned your stripes pretty quick! They loved to have a dig at me.

“I genuinely don’t think I’d be doing what I do now if it wasn’t for playing first team cricket in Bolton at a very young age. People had a dig at you, and you had to answer back.

“One guy who taught me more than anyone else was a guy called Paul Killey, a former pro at Aerospace. A monster of a man, a gentle giant, and an excellent league bowler. He’s one of my favourite people in all of cricket.

“He called me the team punch bag, metaphorically of course, but that gave me a fantastic grounding of mixing with fellas and having to answer back.”

Dagnall is based in Leicestershire, but his parents, brother and sister remain local.

“I go up and see them regularly, and I still keep an eye on the leagues when I can,” he said.

“I looked at the Horwich side that were playing last year, and three or four of the guys I played with back then are still turning out, which is lovely to see, people like Grant Long, David White and Andy Taylor.

“I think I’ve also seen the names Craig Duxbury and Paul Rayment pretty recently.

“There was only one regret about my career in Bolton.

“There was one game I never ever played in and would give anything still to play in it, and that was the Trinity Cup between the Association and League.

“I was dying to play in that cup match, but never did. If someone wants to ring me up and ask me to play. I’m still playing a bit of league cricket and would drop everything to play in that match.”

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