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EXCLUSIVEKumar Sangakkara scored 28,000 runs for Sri Lanka – now he’s playing with welders and hot-tub salesmen in Dorset and loving the best teas in the country

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EXCLUSIVEKumar Sangakkara scored 28,000 runs for Sri Lanka - now he's playing with welders and hot-tub salesmen in Dorset and loving the best teas in the country

Shillingstone is your typical sleepy village in north Dorset, a quiet haven situated on the River Stour on the periphery of the Blandford Forest. But this summer, the local cricket team have caused quite a stir after enticing a familiar face out of retirement.

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He’s not your average village cricketer, it’s fair to say. Not someone who has spent their life making time for playing cricket around a day job as a delivery driver, welder or hot-tub salesman, like his new team-mates.

Instead, across a 15-year career, Kumar Sangakkara cemented his place as one of the greats of the game.
The silky Sri Lankan left-hander toppled the most fearsome fast bowlers and canniest spinners of his generation to score the second-most runs in international cricket history.

38 Test hundreds were notched all over the world, from Lahore to Lord’s.
Legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara played for Shillingstone Cricket Club
Sangakkara cemented himself as one of the greats of the game in a dazzling 15-year career

Turning out for Shillingstone Cricket Club in division three of the Dorset Cricket League this summer, then, has been an entirely new experience altogether.

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The surroundings for his run-scoring are certainly different. Sangakkara’s home ground is the council-owned recreation ground in the village, just a few miles from where he lives, affectionately known as ‘The Rec’, which is also used by the local football and tennis clubs.

The spectators are usually just a handful of locals who pop by while on their Saturday afternoon stroll – though that has changed when Sangakkara is in town, with fans travelling from all over to catch a glimpse of him playing.

‘It’s just to do with my friends,’ Sangakkara told Mail Sport. ‘I have quite a few friends I’ve known for quite a long time who live near Shillingstone, around the area where my kids go to school.

‘So whenever they were short, they were always trying to say, “You’ve got to come and play, you’ve got to come and play”. I said yes and I went and played a few games.’

Seven games, to be exact, squeezed in around coaching duties in the IPL and broadcasting commitments.

Sangakkara, after all, remains one of the most highly sought-after minds in the game after his run-scoring exploits and captaining some of the great Sri Lanka teams of the modern era. Since retiring in 2015, he has also served a term as MCC president.

But the joy is palpable in Sangakkara’s voice when he it comes to speaking about Shillingstone.

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Beverly Hills Cop’ actor John Ashton dead at 76 after battle with…see more

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Beverly Hills Cop’ actor John Ashton dead at 76 after battle with…see more

Beverly Hills Cop” star John Ashton has died. He was 76.

 

 

The actor passed away “peacefully” in Ft. Collins, Colo., on Thursday, Page Six confirms. TMZ reports he died after a battle with cancer.

 

 

“John leaves behind a legacy of love, dedication and service,” his rep Alan Somers told us in a statement.

 

 

His memory will forever be treasured by his wife, children, grandchildren, as well as his brother, sisters, his extended family and all who loved him,” the statement continued.

 

John’s impact on the world will be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.”

Ashton is survived by his wife of 24 years, Robin Hoye.
He was the father of two children, Michelle Ashton and Michael Thomas Ashton, and three stepchildren. His grandson, Henry, “held a cherished place in his heart.”

He filmed over 200 movies during his 50 years in Hollywood and was well known for his role as Sergeant John Taggart in the 1984 movie “Beverly Hills Cop” with Eddie Murphy.
Ashton recently reprised his role in “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” which was released on Netflix in July.
In June, he attended the film’s premiere at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The Massachusetts native also starred in the 1988 film “Midnight Run” alongside Robert De Niro and in John Hughes’ 1987 comedy, “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

During a break from acting, he co-hosted the “Ashton and Davis Show” on ESPN Radio.

(Armani)

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Baseball icon Ozzie Virgil Sr – the first Dominican to ever play in MLB – dead of…see more

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Baseball icon Ozzie Virgil Sr - the first Dominican to ever play in MLB - dead of…see more

Ozzie Virgil Sr, the first Dominican to ever play in the MLB, has died.

 

He was 92 years old.

 

 

Virgil Sr. began his nine-year career in 1956 with the Giants (then of New York), who remembered him on Sunday with a tribute on X.

 

He later spent time with the Tigers, Athletics, Orioles and Pirates before wrapping up his career back with the Giants in separate stints in 1966 and 1969.

The MLB wrote on its official X account that it was ‘deeply saddened’ to learn of his passing.

Our thoughts are with his son, two-time All-Star catcher Ozzie Virgil Jr., and the rest of the Virgil family,’ they wrote.
Virgil’s presence in the MLB opened the door for many other Dominican players to follow suit.

Today, Dominican players make up 9.83% of all MLB rosters according to World Population Review – the highest figure of any country other than the USA.

Virgil served as a utility player in the big leagues and had a career batting average of .231 with 14 home runs.

After he finished his playing career, he spent 19 years as a coach with the Giants, Expos, Padres and Mariners.

He was born in Monte Cristo, Dominican Republic on May 17, 1932.

(Armani)

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Will Taylor Swift be at Travis Kelce’s game for Chiefs-Chargers on Sunday?

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Will Taylor Swift be at Travis Kelce's game for Chiefs-Chargers on Sunday?

Travis Kelce is back to playing NFL games in 2024, and now that Taylor Swift is off from the Eras Tour for a couple of months, she has some time when she can once again come to cheer him on at Kansas City Chiefs games. She was there for the Week 1 win and attended the Week 2 victory. She wasn’t there for the Week 3 game in Atlanta.

MORE: 8 photos of Taylor Swift having a blast at the Chiefs-Bengals game

So the question is: will she be there for the Week 4 matchup on Sunday afternoon between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Chiefs? According to our handy Taylor Swift calendar, she appears to not have anything planned that day. Which means we might see her there!

Stay tuned and we’ll see if she’s there.

More TAYLOR SWIFT
Taylor Swift stickers were used by Grotesquerie’s film crew for the Travis Kelce series
Donna Kelce talked Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and Taylor’s family: ‘Feels like home’
Taylor Swift fans think the Chiefs should let Travis Kelce be bejeweled

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