When one of the world’s greatest batsmen ever to grace a cricket square pitches up at your local club, it’s unsurprising that the word spreads rapidly. Where normally a man and his dog is the order of the day cricket fans from around the county flocked to watch the master in action and that is just what happened in Dorchester on Saturday where on the recreation ground the former captain of Sri Lanka, Kumar Sangakkara turned out for Shillingston against Dorchester second team for a Dorset County Division 2 match.
Kumar produced a master class of batting for the adoring fans and went on to score 97 runs. Then, trying to bring up his century with a boundary, he drove the ball straight to fielder Mike Peak off the bowling of his son James Peak. That’s a story the Peak family will dine out on for a few years.
During the tea interval, Kumar posed for pictures with some of the spectators and signed a bat for one of his young fans.
Shillingstone went on to win the game by 106 runs.
To view more images of Kumar Sangakkara at Dorchester rec, plus images of the Dorchester second 11 vs Shillingstone match, follow this link: idrismartin.wordpress.com
In the second T20 weekend of the season, Bere Regis beat Martinstown by 9 wickets and then lost against Dorchester First 11 by 7 wickets.
In Dorset County Division 1, Weymouth won at Redlands, beating visitors Royal Challengers Sports Club by 6 wickets, and Portland Red Triangle overcame Stalbridge’s challenge by 19 runs at St George’s.
For more Dorset County Cricket Results, click on the link: dorsetcl.play-cricket.com
Brandon Goodship and Tom Bearwish have both signed contracts to remain at Weymouth Football Club next season, but Euan Pollock, Corey Jordan, Ben Greenwood and Lloyd Thomas have all exited the Terras.