But Mrs Wilkinson, who was expecting their third child, told her husband to play.

And despite Mr Wilkinson’s team losing to Bridgnorth in the Furrows Shropshire Premier Bowling League play-off on Friday, the couple had every reason to celebrate – as just hours later, they had their newborn son, James, in their arms.

Now Mr Wilkinson, 40, pictured with baby James, is considering starting his own family team because his two other sons – Charlie, four, and Joseph, two – are “bowling-mad” and he says James has no choice but to follow suit.

Mr Wilkinson said: “I was getting ready to go to bowls and my wife Gemma started having twinges so they took her into hospital and I kept my phone on while I was playing.

“We both agreed I should go on with the bowling because I couldn’t let the team down.

“I managed to play my game and there was no call but just as I was about to leave the match the phone call came in to say she’d been moved on to the labour ward and they would get back to me.”

He added: “We’ve got a taxi business so I came back to the office and took some bookings.

“I finished my last booking at 2am, and at 2.15am I had a call saying get to the hospital and at 4.29am, she had the baby.”

James weighed in at a healthy 8lb 3oz and returned home from The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with his mother yesterday – but only after his father had played his second game of bowls in 24 hours, this time in the Malpas League Doubles Final.

Mr Wilkinson said despite the White Horse team having been relegated after Friday’s match, he expected to continue to play premier league bowls after receiving offers to join five other clubs.

By Becky Parkinson

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