FORMER England captains David Gower and Mike Gatting witnessed an epic finale as a fundraising match at Oxford Downs Cricket Club proved a roaring success.
Approximately £2,600 was raised for cricket charity The Lord’s Taverners, whose celebrity side lost to the Masked Cricketers by two wickets with one ball to spare on Bank Holiday Monday.
The 30-over fixture provided the climax to the weekly Masked Cricketer Facebook Live show, where Oxfordshire coach Darryl Woods and co-presenter Kieren Bushnell spoke to cricketers hidden behind a face covering.
The show grew from small beginnings in April and culminated with Gatting and Lord’s Taverners president Gower joining the fun.
Television host Chris Tarrant, ex-Gloucestershire captain Mark Alleyne and international rugby referee JP Doyle were among those at the event, along with 250 spectators.
Mr Woods said: “From small and humble beginnings where we were having a couple of hundred views, the show just grew into something really special, where we were getting between 3,000 and 5,000 viewers a week.
“The game on Monday was just an extraordinary day, and I am so grateful to Oxford Downs, particularly Claire Bowden, for making it happen in a Covid-secure way.”
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