MORE than 200 spectators with a shared love of history and cricket turned out at the weekend to watch a sporting fixture with a difference.

Witley Court staged a Georgian cricket match, which pitted a team from English Heritage against Worcestershire side John Banner's International All Stars. The All Stars won the match, by two wickets, but only after a gruelling two and a half hours of Georgian era-rules, frilly shirts and cumbersome bats.

One unfortunate English Heritage player suffered a black eye after being struck with the ball but head custodian at Witley Court, Spencer Trickett, said the game was a big hit.

He said: "The crowd were loving it. They lapped it up.

"We hope to repeat the event next year as it was a really pleasant, family day out," he added.