Ashes legend Chris Old left cricket to become proprietor of a fish and chip shop. The pace bowler, nicknamed 'Chilly', represented his country for eight years. He also enjoyed a remarkable 19-year stint at county level. Now aged 76, Old and his second wife Letitia established Clipper Fish near Penzance, Cornwall shortly following his retirement.

Recognised as the younger brother of Alan Old, an England rugby union legend, Old launched his cricket journey at Yorkshire in 1966. By the mid-1970s, he had become an England mainstay, earning Wisden Cricketer of the Year honours in 1979. Nevertheless, Old is most famously remembered for his crucial contribution to England's triumph over Australia at Headingley during the 1981 Ashes. He entered the crease at 252 for eight, with England holding merely a 25-run advantage.

Despite being primarily a bowler, he assisted England icon Ian Botham in adding 67 runs. He backed up his batting heroics by dismissing Australian star Allan Border, whom he removed for a duck in Australia's second innings.

He hung up his boots in 1987 after being hampered by injuries. When questioned about managing such a dramatic career transformation, moving from the wicket to the chip fryer, he revealed to The Guardian in 2008: "We didn't set out to be. We bought a holiday house in Cornwall, but when both our jobs finished we ended up moving down here. I'd hoped to keep working in cricket, but it didn't happen.

"The most sensible thing to do was open a cafe, not just for tourists but for local people. When we found this place right on the beach we went for it. You don't get the passing trade, but it's such a beautiful location. Praa Sands is the jewel of the coast."

When asked whether he had any second thoughts about leaving cricket behind, he said: "I'm happy with my life now, but yes, I do regret that I haven't been able to stay in the game: it's in your blood, no matter what you do it's always there.

"Having played for England for 10 years and county cricket for 20 there's a lot of experience I'd like to pass on to the youngsters. I can't see it happening though: they tend to go for the younger coaches. It makes me sad. There are generations of cricketers from the 1970s and 80s who have been passed over.

"For a retirement job it's long hours. You've got the cash and carry first thing, sorting change out, rumbling the potatoes - that's putting 56lb bags of potatoes in a machine to get the skins off - and making the batter."

He continued: "My wife and I share the cooking between us, it's all very hands on. We used to get one of the lads to do the chips, but he turned the kitchen into a muddy football field - there was more on the floor than going down the drain - so I do it all myself now."

Following 11 years of trading, Old and Letitia shuttered their restaurant when the financial crisis struck in 2009. Whilst Old's current occupation remains somewhat unclear, he revealed in 2017 that he had secured employment at Sainsburys in Truro.

"There are people who still come across and ask if it is me and it is a nice situation to be in," he remarked in 2017, explaining that he manages newspapers and magazines within the supermarket.

"Yes [they ask about the 1981 Ashes] but they're also asking about the game today so I have to make sure I'm up to speed with what is happening."