The Hereford Times

County cricketers’ orphanage visit is the highlight of Sri Lanka tour

4:50pm Friday 7th March 2008

HEREFORDSHIRE'S cricketers were the winners both on and off the field in their winter tour of Sri Lanka.

A display of immense fighting spirit in 36-degree heat gave Herefordshire Under-15 a six-wicket win in their final match against a strong Lyceum Nugadodo team.

But the highlight of the tour was a visit to an orphanage and community village project in an area of southern Sri Lanka battered by the tsunami three years ago.

Herefordshire captain James Hope led his players into action at the project where the trustees include Test players Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas.

The team spent a morning hearing about how local people had recovered from the devastation of the tsunami.

The Herefordshire team also helped with gardening and the restoration of a school library.

In the afternoon, Herefordshire played a Twenty20 match against youngsters from Seenigama School at a ground built by the MCC.

Despite a hard-hitting 46 from Sam Morris, Herefordshire lost with two overs to spare.

Afterwards, the Herefordshire players donated a cricket set and their own playing kit to the young tsunami survivors against whom they played.

The Herefordshire Under-15 played four matches against teams on the south-western coast of Sri Lanka, including one on a First Class ground at Matara.

Tom Coleman scored a superb 82 against St Thomas' College but the home side squeezed to victory by three wickets in a game where an iguana played in the outfield.

Victories by visiting English sides are rare in Sri Lanka, where the hot and humid conditions favour the home teams.

But Herefordshire managed a win in their final match.

Herefordshire bowled out Lyceum for 155 with spinners Coleman (4-23) and Hope (2-31) doing most of the damage.

Kit Holden, Oli Cross, Freddie Lifely and Greg Leighton also took a wicket each.

Herefordshire openers Matt Deem (39) and Will Burton (20) set up victory hopes with an excellent 62-run partnership.

Coleman guided Herefordshire to a memorable victory with an unbeaten 46.