Who's who of cricket - Haverhill Echo

[This article first appeared in the Haverhill Echo, 21/8/08] 

Who's who of cricket

Published Date: 21 August 2008

By Steve Barton

A VERITABLE who's who of cricketing stars descends on Haverhill today when the famous Lashings World XI takes to the pitch against its Manor Road hosts.

Haverhill Cricket Club and lovers of the sport in the town will be hoping today's weather is kinder to them than last year's, when the wet conditions allowed only 15 of the scheduled 35 overs per side to be completed.

Some of the names may be missing from last year's visit - there is no Tino Best or Chris Cairns this time around for instance - but Lashings' 13-man squad is packed with players familiar to followers of the sport all around the world.

Former England test players such as fast bowlers Alan Mullally and Ed Giddins and spinner John Emburey, Pakistani fast bowler Mohammed Akram and Zimbabwe opening batsman Brendan Taylor will be paying their first visit to the home of Haverhill cricket.

All-rounder Phil Defreitas, who rose to fame as part of England's team that won the 1986-87 Ashes in Australia, alongside the likes of Sir Ian Botham and Chris Broad, is another star turn that is sure to enthral the crowd.

Marvan Atapattu, who only recently reitred from the international arena, is Sri Lanka's sole representative this year, with one-day specialist Chris Harris the only Kiwi in the squad.

The absence of any Australians in the squad will be of disappointment to some, although in Rob Sullivan, Haverhill can at least boast a native Aussie of their own.

West Indian legends Alvin Kallicharran, Gordon Greenidge and Richie Richardson, who again captains the side, will add a Calypso flavour to the match while the ever-colourful figures of Zimbabwean Henry Olonga and Pakistan's Rashid Latif complete the visitor's line-up.

Captain of Haverhill's First XI, Adam Dellar, who will be vice-captain for today's match, said: "It's come round so quickly from last year.

"I'm very much looking forward to it, hopefully we can do well this year, as we did last year."

When asked who they were most looking forward to facing, Dellar said: "They have got Henry Olonga, the new guy Mohammed Akram, who was signed for Surrey last year and is a fast bowler who bowls at 80-plus mph so that would be nice to face."

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