England Blind Team win Ashes

6 September 2004

The England Blind Team won the inaugural Blind Cricket Ashes Series against Australia at the weekend, winning the final game of the five-match series to secure a 3-2 victory.

The series was level heading into the deciding match at Bradfield College and Australia looked in a strong position after scoring 303 in their 40 overs, but England reached their target with seven wickets down and two overs to spare.

Tim Gutteridge was England’s hero and took the man-of-the-match award as he hit 138 before announcing his retirement from international cricket.

It proved to be a thrilling series, with England drawing first blood with a 30-run win at the same venue but Australia fought back to win the next two games convincingly.

A two-wicket triumph at Horsham saw England level the series before Adam Benjamin’s side came out on top in a dramatic finale.

England now lie in third place in the World Blind Cricket Rankings and will aim to improve on this at the Blind Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2006.