BOLTON cricket will lose one of its playing stalwarts when Andy Cumberbatch retires this weekend.

It will be the third time in as many years the former club professional has planned to hang up his bat, and he says he has run out of excuses to carry on.

The 48-year-old from Astley Bridge will turn out for Heaton second team on Saturday after which his main priority in the game will be watching his 12-year-old son Joe play.

Cumberbatch’s career has seen him play for eight clubs including two stints at both Astley Bridge and Eagley in the Bolton League.

After spending seven years as a junior at Astley Bridge he moved to Bradshaw for a season.

He returned to Bridge for a couple of years then played for Eagley for five.

After that he moved into the Association as a professional, first for Adlington for 12 months and then at Standish for four years.

He spent his next four years playing for Daisy Hill before having a two-year stint at Baxenden in the Ribblesdale League.

He spent seven years out of the game when his children, Joe and 16-year-old daughter Millie, were young and then, at 43 years old, made a return to the game which even surprised him.

“Joe said he wanted to play cricket so I took him to Eagley,” he said.

“They sorted Joe out then asked me if I wanted to play too and I spent the next few seasons playing for them.”

He left Eagley for Heaton 12 months ago.

A seam bowler, Cumberbatch also had a handful of games for Lancashire’s second team in his heyday and while he admits he will miss the game he started playing as a 10-year-old he is happy the time is right to call it a day.

“It’s the end of an era, a long era, but it’s the right time,” he said.

“I was going to finish two years ago but the captain of the second team at Eagley asked me to help him out for one more season.

“Then I was going to finish last year but the two Bolton leagues merging changed my mind.

“I wanted to go back to Adlington, Standish and Daisy Hill and places I’ve played before in the Bolton Association where I’ve got a lot of friends.

“It’s been great but I’ve run out of excuses now so that’s it.

“It’s not a cricketing decision, I can bat and bowl and stand at slip all day, but I’ve got work commitments and can’t carry on racing around everywhere on a Saturday.

“I will miss it loads but there’s still involvement for me watching Joe play for Egerton.

“I’m going to get myself a tartan blanket and a flask and sit there watching him.”