PRESTON S cricketers had a red hot time in Estonia – even if the playing conditions were freezing. The team are back from the Ice Cricket World Cup where they finished fourth, knocked out by the eventual winners – Chelsea Arts Club. The Preston team was D

PRESTON'S cricketers had a red hot time in Estonia - even if the playing conditions were freezing.

The team are back from the Ice Cricket World Cup where they finished fourth, knocked out by the eventual winners - Chelsea Arts Club.

The Preston team was David Fleckney, Chris Cole, Mark Waters, Richard Gatehouse, Martin Pearce, Matthew Burleigh, Ashley Catlin, Jake Seargent, Warren Hearne and Adam Shelley.

Competition was made up of 10 teams, with people from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the host country.

Each match was 12 overs and games are played with a hard compound ball as traditional leather would freeze.

The temperature was around minus 10 degrees and more with the wind chill!

A wicket was prepared by shovelling away the huge amounts of snow to reveal the ice covered lake and the ice is several meters thick.

Spokesman Mark Waters said: "Estonia was fantastic; it was really well organised with activity days when not playing cricket and chaperones to show the best places in Tallinn among others.

"On the day of the tournament there was lots and lots of snow which made playing conditions very hard."

The tournament was supported by the Young Lord's Taverners who also had a side in the competition.

It was run in conjunction with the Estonian Cricket Association (mainly ex-pats with some locals as well) who usually play around 13 touring sides each year.

Estonia TV televised the event and it was shown over many networks including Reuters.

Waters continued: "The tournament was actually dreamt up to try and promote cricket in Estonia and particularly in the schools.

"The Estonian Cricket Association and organisers Baltic Adventures have forced the Estonian Government to sit up a bit and take notice.

"Cricket is now on the national schools' curriculum, purely out of the exposure cricket has had since the ice tournament has been running. So it was a very worthwhile cause and something that we didn't know about before we went.

"It was really excellent fun and I would thoroughly recommend any other team to go."

Details can be obtained from www.balticadventures.co.uk