Former cricket stars pitch in to help fund hospice

The fixture at Abbeydale Sports Club saw Lashings World XI, the team of former stars who tour the world playing for good causes, take on Sheffield’s own Crab CC, the team that plays in memory of former hospice patient Tom Collins.

Mr Collins, who died at the age of 48 from lung cancer, was a founder of the Meersbrook Meerkats and a member of the De La Salle Old Boys’ Cricket Club, where team mates nicknamed him “The Crab” because of his unique style of batting.

His son Tom Barney, who captains Crab CC, said the team were keen to take on ex-international players including Henry Olonga of Zimbabwe and Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan– although they were not counting on a victory.

The 24-year-old said: “After my father died a couple of years ago I decided to set up a charity cricket club in aid of the hospice. He was a mad keen cricketer.

“This was the first of what will hopefully become an annual event. Although we had absolutely no chance of winning, it doesn’t matter – we weren’t playing to win.”

Yesterday’s fixture was only the second ever match for Crab CC, who won their inaugural game against De La Salle last month.