Cricketer James Rapson can add conker player extraordinaire to the list of his sporting accolades after coming ninth at the world championships last weekend.

Mr Rapson and three other friends from Bishops Cannings Cricket Club – Neil Guthrie, Phil O’Shea and Tom Collins – headed to Northamptonshire last weekend for the world championships but as their conkers were shattered so were their dreams of winning the world title.

Mr Guthrie and Mr Collins fell at the first hurdle during World Championship at the Shuckburgh Arms in Southwick, but their team mates powered through to the second round where fewer than 100 competitors remained.

Mr O’Shea, owner of the Peppermill restaurant in Devizes, lost out in this stage but 46-year-old Mr Rapson got through to the third round, where again he was victorious.

With just 16 men left in the fourth round, Mr Rapson sadly met his match but took comfort in his ninth place.

The team has already entered the 2015 World Conker Championships and intends to start their training much earlier for next year’s event.

Mr Rapson, who like team-mates Mr O’Shea and Mr Guthrie, is a former estate agent, said: “After our recent success, we are considering a number of other world title attempts.

“The first on our calendar is the World Crazy Golf Championships in Hastings at the end of this month and, with three ex-estate agents in the team, we quite like the look of the World’s Biggest Liar Competition in late November in Cumbria.”

The quartet intends to use future events to raise money for the Devizes Opportunity Centre.

Ed Davies, the chairman of Bishops Cannings Cricket Club, said: “I am incredibly proud of the lads.

“To go to the world championships unranked and to return with two in the top 100 and one in the top 50 and one in the top 10 is a tremendous achievement.”