Cricket: Galaxy of stars to shine at Lashings Festival

Craig WhiteCraig White
Craig White
The Lashings Cricket Festival at Elsecar’s picturesque Armroyd Lane ground on Friday, August 16, promises to be an event not to be missed by any cricket lovers who have time available on that day.

The Festival begins with the Yorkshire Walking Cricket Final at 12 p.m. between Barnsley and Doncaster. Walking Cricket was trialled earlier this year and has raised enthusiasm throughout the country. It is a game designed for older adults, this is the first ever Yorkshire final and so is a unique event.

Simultaneously, at the other end of the age spectrum, a junior Under 9’s tournament will take place. This will feature teams from Elsecar, Thorncliffe, Rockingham and Upper Haugh.

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The main event begins at 3 p.m. and Elsecar will take on the might of a powerful Lashings International XI with former test players from England, Ireland, Pakistan and the West Indies in a T20 match.

The game has an extra spice as on the previous visit to Armroyd Lane, Lashings experienced a rare defeat and are eager to avenge this with a team bristling with first-class skill and experience and with almost 120,000 runs between them at first class and international level.

The team is skippered by former Surrey and England star Martin Bicknell, and includes Yorkshire and England Craig White, Lancashire and England’s Chris Schofield and Sajid Mahmood and aggressive all-rounder Chris Lewis. Usman Afzaal and Kabir Ali complete the English Test and County complement. Niall O’Brien, batsman and wicket keeper is Ireland’s representative.

Additionally Pakistan are represented by Faisal Iqbal with over 12,000 1st class runs and Yasir Arafat with an additional wealth of experience The inclusion of the class of Bangladeshi star Mohammad Ashraful broadens the strength and international appeal of the Lashings team.

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Waiting in the wings in case any of these stars fail to make it are England’s Devon Malcolm and the fearsome West Indian Gordon Greenidge.

The match will be commentated on by the legendary Henry Blofeld O.B.E., who was suchan impressive success at the inaugural Lashings event.

Elsecar, holding their own in their first season in the ECB Yorkshire South Premier league will be led by skipper Saeed Anwar, the League’s leading run getter, already with 700 runs to his name this season, and with 12,500 first-class runs in his career. The team will be supplemented with the addition of Conisbrough’s Sri Lankan, Niguna Kariyawasam, and Whitley’s Aussie Jack Wood.

Admission to the event will be £5 for adults with children and concessions free.

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The Lashings players will attend a special event and meal in a marquee, also commencing at 12 p.m. and there are a few tickets still available at £45 each for the three hour event.

For more information contact Jim Beachill on 07886 718719 or Andrew Ivill on 07901 686146

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