From the John Leggott College in August 1979 he gained A-levels in Economics, Statistics, and Pure Mathematics, where his brother David also went.
Priestley made a single first-class appearance for Northamptonshire against the touring Sri Lankans in 1981.
He later made his debut for Lincolnshire in the 1983 Minor Counties Championship against Hertfordshire.
He made a further List A appearance for Lincolnshire, against Gloucestershire in the 1990 NatWest Trophy.
His brothers both went on to both have trials at Somerset, organised by Ian Botham, who lived at Epworth at the time and was a friend of the family.