Search

show me:

Teen prodigy bats with cricket legends

3 minute read

Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar has faced an over from Australian women's star Ellyse Perry during the innings break of Cricket Australia's bushfire relief match.

Former Indian cricketer SACHIN TENDULKAR.
Former Indian cricketer SACHIN TENDULKAR. Picture: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Teenage prodigy Phoebe Litchfield has lived out a young cricketer's dream by batting with Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara on a day where sporting legends raised almost $8 million for bushfire relief.

Sunday's light-hearted charity match at Melbourne's Junction Oval ended in a one-run win to the Ponting XI but it was about more than the on-field action.

It saw Ponting's team battle an Adam Gilchrist-skippered side as some of the world's greatest cricketers from the last 30 years wound back the clock.

Litchfield came into bat at No.4, ahead of West Indian great Lara, joining Australia's leading Test run-scorer at the crease.

The 16-year-old NSW batter described the experience as "unreal", "amazing" and "overwhelming".

"It was completely surreal. When Ponting left (the crease retired) I was like 'oh bugger' but Brian Lara walked out so it was just amazing," Litchfield told AAP.

"Just to meet all those people was surreal and a great experience.

"Everyone was welcoming and just enthused that a young person was in the team."

During the innings break, Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar padded up for the first time in almost six years to face Australian women's team star Ellyse Perry.

He was not expected to take to the field due to a shoulder injury but the 46-year-old great did so for charity during the innings break of the 10-over match.

Perry's Australian teammates, who had just beaten England in a Twenty20 game, fielded for the six balls.

Young gun Annabel Sutherland also had a go at bowling to Tendulkar.

Prolific Australian opening pair Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden reunited for Ponting's team, batting together for the first time since the 2007 SCG Test against England.

Hayded even rolled the arm over, bowling bare-footed to his great Queensland mate Andrew Symonds.

Lara blasted some of his trademark cover drives in an unbeaten 30, smashing Australian women's player Elyse Villani, former St Kilda AFL captain Nick Riewoldt and Symonds to the fence.

Four-time AFL premiership player Luke Hodge had the better of NRL games record-holder Cameron Smith, smashing the Melbourne Storm captain to the boundary.

"I saw it was Cam and not someone quick. (Smith) said he was going to be nice to me and wasn't sure where the ball was going to land," Hodge said.

Hodge also bowled, knocking over the stumps of Gilchrist, Australia's greatest wicketkeeper-batsman.

Cricket Australia has currently raised $7,760,415 across four games this weekend, including two women's Twenty20 internationals and the BBL final.

Australian cricketers will provide up to $2 million to help bushfire affected cricket clubs get back up and running.

It will be passed on through the Grassroots Cricket Fund - set aside by the players from their share of the game's revenue.

All profits and funds raised at Cricket Australia are going towards the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.

Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?

For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au