Henry Pollock hits opposition for six in latest sporting venture

Henry Pollock showed off his cricketing skills on Northampton’s tour of Sri Lanka, blasting 13 runs off just four balls as the International Rugby Stars fell short of beating a team of Sri Lankan cricket legends in a charity T12 match in Colombo on Monday.

The England and Lions back-rower came in when the game was already up, with the Saints-heavy Rugby Stars team, which was led by wicket-keeper/captain David Campes, failing to chase down the 140 required to win.

George Hendy, an accomplished cricketer in the Midlands club scene, got the Rugby Stars XI off to a good start but once he fell for a quickfire 18, the tourists were always up against it, although Alex Mitchell didn’t go down without a fight, top scoring with 24.

Fin Smith was then clean bowled for a second-ball duck and Fraser Dingwall went the same way. But Pollock, batting in shades and a reversed baseball cap, combined well with Alex Coles, who used his long levers to good effect, to ensure the Rugby Stars finished with a flourish.

The match against some of the stars of Sri Lanka’s 1996 Cricket World Cup win was played to raise funds for Lanka Alzheimer’s Foundation (LAF), Sri Lanka’s first and only organisation dedicated to supporting people living with dementia and cognitive impairment.

The reigning PREM Rugby champions are in Sri Lanka for eight days, as part of their collaborative agreement with Asia Pacific Lions Rugby.

The tour will culminate in a rugby fixture against the Asia Pacific Lions on Friday 28 August at Colombo’s Racecourse International Stadium.