2 days ago
International cricket legends visit Ventnor for Lashings match
Former international cricketers came to the Isle of Wight to compete for Lashings XI against Ventnor.
Heroes of the professional game, including West Indies quick Courtney Walsh, former England leg spinner Chris Schofield, Ex-Bangladesh Captain Mohammed Ashraful and England quick Martin Bicknell, all visited Steephill to complete a 26 run win.
Owais Shah made 60 and James Hildreth made 80 for the visitors, with strike rates of above 100 - Hildreth scoring an impress 15 boundaries including five sixes.
Ventnor, in good form, went well initially with Daniel Cox and Dineth Thimodya, top scoring with 75, setting a good foundation - but the home side slipped from 119 to 2 to 137 for six in a matter of 13 balls.
Courtney Walsh gets hit for four by Ventnor opener Joshua Carpenter (Image: David Reynolds)
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Legendary England off-spinner John Emburey, the pick of the bowlers for Lashings, took four wickets for 18 runs, and with the last pair in, Ventnor came up 26 runs short.
The well-attended match was hosted and MC'd by legendary retired Test Match Special broadcaster Henry Blofeld.
The fixture was the first Lashings visit to Steephill since 2016.
The Island side beat the 'Harlem Globetrotters of cricket' by five wickets in 2007, with 16-year-old Danny Briggs playing.
Briggs now plays for Warwickshire and made his England debut in 2012.
