Courtney Walsh plays for Lashings in Ipswich

June 25, 2023

ONE of the greatest fast bowlers of all-time played for the Lashings World XI that defeated St Joseph’s College by 119 runs in Ipswich on Saturday.

Courtney Walsh, who captured 519 wickets for the West Indies in a stellar career between 1984 and 2001, opened the bowling and took a wicket with just his third ball.

Walsh, now aged 60 and who captained his country in 22 Test matches, was late arriving after being stuck in traffic. However, he was not required to bat as Lashings scored 234 for 3 in their 20 overs.

Former Pakistan player Asad Shafiq opened the innings on his debut for Lashings and top-scored with 89 from 58 balls.

Shafiq, who played the last of his 77 Tests against England as recently as August 2020, received good support from his skipper, ex-England leg spinner Chris Schofield, who also played for Suffolk.

Schofield made 57 from 37 deliveries, while Owais Shah’s 37 came off 16 balls and included one six that shattered a window in the science block.

Sam Slatter stood out for St Joseph’s College with the ball, claiming 1 for 23 from his four overs.

The St Joseph’s 1st XI were soon struggling in their reply, losing their first three wickets with just six runs on the board.

The college side were facing against a bowling attack that included ex-England off spinner John Emburey and former South African quick Charl Willoughby, who played for Essex at the end of his first-class career.

Lashings restricted the college to 115 for 9 in their 20 overs, Callum Woolston scoring 32, wicket-keeper Zaman Khan 25 and Ollie Edwards 22.

The legendary Henry Blofeld commentated on the match, which was sponsored by Aquabridge Law and followed a corporate hospitality lunch and auction attended by 120 guests.

Saj Mahmood, Charl Willoughby, Asad Shafiq and Yasir Arafat delivered a coaching masterclass for some of the college’s young cricketers on the morning of the match.

Sam Bennett-King, Head of Cricket at St Joseph’s College, said: “The match proved a fantastic learning experience for our students and provided great entertainment for all guests in attendance.”

Courtney Walsh is pictured above bowling for the Lashings World XI at St Joseph’s College in Ipswich on Saturday, while below Lashings players pose with young students who attended the coaching masterclass.

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