LANCASHIRE League spin king Keith Roscoe admitted that his 1,500 wicket milestone had become ‘more like a millstone’ – but says it is a moment that will live with him for ever after he wrote his name into the history books on Saturday.

Rawtenstall’s legendary Roscoe finally became only the third person in history – and the first in the modern era of limited overs cricket – to rack up 1,500 league wickets at Enfield on Saturday when he enticed Kieran Demaine into an attempted sweep.

And as the ball looped high into the air, professional Brett Pelser ran around from slip to take a history-making catch and bring scenes of delight to the Rawtenstall team.

Roscoe’s achievement, 34 years after making his debut for Rawtenstall’s Rossendale Valley rivals Bacup, is all the more remarkable given the fact he spent a couple of years playing for Sunderland and another two seasons as professional at Edenfield.

And he grinned: “It is a very special moment and something I am naturally very, very proud of.

“If you play long enough you get the wickets but even so the feeling is one that can never be taken away.”

But the 51-year-old said the expectation around the landmark was a distraction and added: “Ideally I would have got the wicket against my first club Bacup a few weeks ago.

“But things don’t always pan out and as it’s got closer a few people have been following us around waiting for the 1,500 – and to be honest it was not so much a milestone as becoming a millstone.

“But it is a great moment, once to cherish, and now I want to just carry on taking wickets and helping Rawtenstall progress.”

Rain ensured there was to be no dream victory for Rawtenstall on Roscoe’s big day as the weather pretty much wrecked the game at Enfield.

Three times it looked as though giant efforts from the Enfield players and groundstaff would be rewarded with a start only for the next wave of rain to sweep in just after the covers were removed.

However, skippers Adam Bracewell and Vinny Hanson agreed to start in a break between showers at 4.10pm with a 23-over game to take place.

Hanson won the toss and put Enfield in and it seemed as though Roscoe’s thunder would be stolen by fellow spinner Imran Abid.

Abid claimed the first three wickets to fall as Enfield slipped to 48-3.

But all eyes were on Roscoe and after he had taken a bit of tap off Tiarnan Hamill and Brad Moses, he finally enticed Demaine into his mistimed sweep and Pelser did the rest.

When the buzz around that wicket hade died down Enfield managed to post 112-8 from their 23 overs with Hamill batting quite magnificently for 45 until his bid for a deserved half-century was ended when he was one of five victims for Abid.

Roscoe finished with three wickets and also walked off the field with a bottle of champagne as Enfield marked the moment with an on-field presentation to the 51-year-old.

It looked as though rain would mean no further play and with the overs dropping below the minimum 20, Hanson still decided to have a dart at the win in 17 overs.

Pelser made 15 and Sam Kershaw and Danny Barlow were both unbeaten on 26 as they dashed to 76-1 before more rain poured down and stopped play after 12.2 overs.

But the day was all about Roscoe.

“I think we might have a decent night tonight,” he laughed.