Television’s Piers Morgan gets Lara for duck
BASSETERRE, St Kitts — Piers Morgan was the unlikely hero as his side shocked a team captained by West Indies legend Brian Lara to win the ‘Beefy’s Bash’ charity Twenty20 match as part of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League in St Kitts.
In an entertaining match organised by Sir Ian Botham and played in front of a capacity crowd at Warner Park on Tuesday night, Morgan starred with bat and ball. In what must surely be his greatest sporting achievement, the broadcaster dismissed double world-record holder Lara for a duck, caught at mid-wicket. As if that wasn’t enough, he then smashed the former West Indies captain for a six and a four in the final over of his side’s run chase to seal a thrilling six-wicket victory, with one ball to spare.
The teams were formed from a mixture of cricketing legends such as Lara, Graeme Swann, Darren Gough, Ian Bishop, Tom Moody, Roger Harper and Matthew Maynard; celebrities Piers Morgan and Marcus Mumford, lead singer of folk-rock giants, Mumford and Sons; politicians, cricket administrators and local players. Fans were treated to spectacular entertainment and comedy, with practical jokers Gough and Danny Morrison playing up to the crowd.
“I got Brian Lara for a duck, then slapped him for a six and a four in the last over to win the game… and the Man of Match award. No big deal. Seriously though, for a club cricketer like me, playing in front of a crowd like this with some of the world’s most legendary players is a dream come true,” said Morgan.