WITH England facing Australia in the Cricket World Cup semi-final tomorrow, an Oxfordshire village hosted its own version of the sport's oldest rivalry.
Swinbrook Cricket Club, near Witney, welcomed its first overseas team on Sunday as Australian side Crusaders visited their picturesque ground.
The team from Down Under are on a month-long tour of cricket clubs around the UK and played teams at Swinbrook and Blenheim Palace on a typical English summer day.
Read also: The latest cricket news from across OxfordshireCrusaders are focused on helping young players progress towards the top of the game, so it was no surprise that they won by 112 runs.
But Swinbrook did not disgrace themselves, restricting the Australians to 226-6 in their 40 overs before scoring 114 themselves.
Both Crusaders sides were given a tour of Blenheim in the morning, before enjoying a cricket tea midway through the match and a post-match barbecue.
The match netted £1,600 for Swinbrook, while the Australians are keen to return for a rematch during their next tour in 2021.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here