Lashings of stars descend on Rye

The sun shone throughout a truly memorable day for all connected with the club and the thousand-plus spectators who came to see the Lashings legends in action against the youngsters of Rye.

The club hosted a lunch for 210 guests in a marquee especially erected for the day, where the Lashings Experience entertained guests with their panache, style and humour. Besides a fantastic lunch, guests enjoyed an auction, and the opportunity to talk cricket with Test greats such as Gordon Greenidge, John Emburey and Saqlain Mushtaq.

The Cricket Salts was soon surrounded by spectators with picnics and they were not to be disappointed by the cricket. After Lashings won the toss and elected to bat, Wasim Jaffer was bowled by a Craig Pierce beauty and Lashings were soon 30-2.

West Indian Kirk Edwards resisted with an undefeated 103, however, and Yasir Arafat blasted 102 retired off 43 balls, including six sixes. Greenidge graced The Salts for a cameo innings.

At tea Rye were facing a notional target of 276 off 30 overs. Sandun Dias and Seabrook opened the batting against the 90mph pace of Butler and the swing of Arafat.

Both had soon gone, as did James Hamilton and Jake Bryant against the spin of Emburey and Mushtaq, but Jackson Woodcock (21) and Alfie Weller (20) took the hosts up to a final score of 95-6 against the best attack ever to have played at Rye.

The game was all about celebrating cricket and that was royally done. The man of the match award which had been given by Rye Pottery, a figurine of the great fast bowler William Lillywhite, was presented to Weller.

See tomorrow’s Rye Observer for a full report and more pictures.