Cribbage player aims for record
It is a card game that is believed to have originated in the early 17th century.
Now dedicated cribbage player Siv Sears is using the game as a unique way of celebrating his 39th birthday.
Mr Sears visited Shropshire on Wednesday as part of his challenge to play cribbage in all 39 of the "ancient" counties before his 39th birthday on June 10.
He took on a competitor at the Wharf Tavern in Cheswardine, near Market Drayton, which was the 23rd leg of his challenge.
Mr Sears, who lives in Norfolk, said: "It was my first visit to Shropshire and I must say I thought it was a lovely and green county.
"I played a traditional game in a country pub which was lovely.
"It was a close fought battle but I managed to win."
Want to know how cribbage is played? See this video:
Mr Sears said he decided to take on the challenge after teaching abroad for many years.
"After coming home I wanted to focus on things traditional to England and as cribbage has been played for more than 400 years, I decided to do this challenge," he said.
"A lot of the counties have changed over the years, so I decided to play the game in the 39 historical counties that have been listed for hundreds of years.
"Pubs and pub games have been in decline for years, but they are great places to meet people and build a community.
"I hope to raise awareness about the pros of pubs in every community as they are great places for people to socialise."
Mr Sears, who has so far took part in the challenge in counties in southern England, added: "As far as I am aware nobody else is doing what I am doing.
"Matthew Engel is noted as the first person to visit all 39 of the ancient counties but I'm going to be the first to play cribbage in all of them."
The 38-year-old, who spent 15 years as a teacher in Taiwan, China, first learnt to play the game as a child after learning the rules from an old friend.
The objective of the game is to be the first player to reach a set target of points, usually 61 or 121, and points are scored by card combinations that add up to 15 and for pairs, triples and runs.
To follow his challenge visit www.cribbage.org.uk
