Monty Panesar and the Lashings XI take on Oswestry Cricket Club in charity match
Cricketing stars from all over the world were in action in Shropshire for one of the biggest games in a club’s history.
Dubbed as the world’s best cricket club and the Harlem globetrotters of cricket, the Lashings XI are made up of stars who go around playing Twenty20 matches against clubs and raising money for charity.
To date they have raised millions of pounds – and the team was at Morda Road to take on Oswestry Cricket Club.
Wasim Jaffer, Abdul Razzaq and former England spinner Monty Panesar were part of the line-up that faced the Oswestry first XI.
Panesar, who has 50 Test caps, has travelled around with the Lashings side for 18 months raising money for various charities.
He said it was good to be able to go and raise money for good causes, but also increase participation in cricket.
He said: “It is good to go around and bring first class cricket to rural areas like this, and give people the opportunity to meet their heroes and talk to them on a personal basis.
“I’ve been with the side for 18 months and it is great to raise money the charities that we do.
“And if we can do that, and also increase participation in sport and get more youngsters involved, this project is a real winner.
“We don’t know much about Oswestry, but we’ve never lost a game and we want to keep that going today.”
Panesar and his team mates spoke to youngsters before yesterday’s game and took part in sessions with local youngsters from the area.
And there was also a special guest, with the presence of Test Match Special’s Henry Blofeld, who at 77 is retiring after this season’s final Test against the West Indies.
Blowers offered some commentary for the Lashings and said he would be offering more support to the team following his retirement.
Lashings began as a ‘scratch team’ in 1984 and has grown to one of the biggest cricket clubs in the world.
Robbie Clarke, captain of Oswestry, insisted it was a massive day for the club.
He said: “It is one of the biggest days we have ever seen. It is massive and will raise a lot of money.
“It will be a little different than our league opposition.
“Most sides just have a laugh against Lashings but we’ve put a strong side out and are having a go.
“But we know how much talent they have.”
It wasn’t just cricketers who were on show in front of the enthusiastic crowds. Only Fools and Horses star John Challis, who lives in Shropshire, was on hand to support the charity and sign copies of his new book.
He added: “I am a guest of the Lashings and I am a big fan of cricket, so it is great to be here.
“Events like this make a difference and raise money for charity, and a percentage of sales from the book also go to charity.
“I don’t get to watch as much cricket as I would like so it is great to be here.”
Only recently the Lashings XI raised £5,000 by facing some of the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire in London.
