As an antidote to all the snow and Jingle Bells, we can take you to Barbados, where one group of England cricketers enjoyed the hospitality of a Merseyside law firm as the official team struggled against off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's wrong 'un in Sri Lanka.

The island's annual Pro Am Cricket Festival, sponsored by Lees Lloyd Whitley (which advises members of the Professional Cricketers Association), saw a host of famous cricketers in action, including Worcestershire's Steve Rhodes (second from left), who captained the Lees Lloyd team to victory.

The highlight was a match between a London XI (pictured with the firm's marketing director, Claire Mottershead) and a Bridgetown XI, which the hosts won by 19 runs.

The team included the likes of Chris Silverwood, Chris Adams, Craig White, Mark Ramprakash and Darren Gough.

It's good to know our boys are getting used to the heat and to losing, in case the national team calls.

[ This article refers to images that appear in the printed edtion (see [2004] Gazette, 8 January, 9) ]