Leroy (Tubby) Richardson turned up at Angeline’s Cafe for breakfast yesterday morning just as he has done every weekday for the past two decades.

But this was no ordinary day for the former St George’s Cup Match captain, who celebrated another personal milestone in the company of niece Jeanette.

It was Mr Richardson’s 93rd birthday, and he took it all in his stride as he sliced a tasty pastry with surgeon-like precision. Mr Richardson, Cup Match’s second eldest player, has been a regular morning customer at the restaurant — once owned by the mother of former St George’s teammate Wellington (Buster) Smith — since he retired from employment in 1993.

“I wanted to give myself a present and having breakfast here every morning except Sundays was it,” he said.

The retired storeman and father of four lives a simple life.

“I don’t fuss about anything, and just be myself,” Mr Richardson said. “I just take things as they come and I am grateful to live this long — especially when one considers that my mother died when she was 22 and my father at 43, and here I am 93.”

Mr Richardson made his Cup Match debut at Royal Naval Field in 1941 and marked the occasion by taking a sharp return catch off his own bowling to dismiss star Somerset batsman Alma (Champ) Hunt.

“That was one of proudest moments of my Cup Match career,” he said.

Mr Richardson said Cup Match is a game not for the faint of heart.

“Cup Match is no fun game, it is for real. And if you can’t take it, you have to stay out of the game.

“No matter what the situation is you have to learn how to give it your all and fight, otherwise forget it. That’s what I learned about Cup Match.”

In 1951, Mr Richardson was given the privilege of captaining St George’s in Cup Match and repaid his club for having faith in him by leading the east end club to a seven-wicket victory against a Lloyd Simmons-led Somerset team at Wellington Oval.

“That was another proud moment in my career,” he smiled, before pausing to take another bite of cake.

“There was a lot of pressure on the captains in those days because you did it all. We did not have coaches or managers as they do today.”

Mr Richardson led by example, claiming nine wickets for 56 runs and tossing down six maidens with a repertoire of spin bowling that included the googly.

He went on to captain St George’s for another three years before being succeeded by Carlton Welch in 1955, the same year he retired from Cup Match.

Cup Match still holds a special place in Mr Richardson’s heart. But he says the attitudes of modern day players leaves much to be desired.

“I still get excited about Cup Match, but the attitudes of these young folks is getting on my nerves,” Mr Richardson said.

“They don’t take things seriously and I never thought things would come to this.”

Mr Richardson played his last competitive cricket match in 1989 at the age of 68, leading Royal Artillery Association to victory over the Ex-Artillery Association at Devonshire Recreation Club.

At 94, wicketkeeper Woodgate Simmons, formerly of Somerset, is Cup Match’s eldest player.