IMAGINE fronting up at the crease against England fast bowler Jimmy Anderson but not knowing when he's likely to strike.

This could perhaps be the best approximation of what it's like to play blind cricket.

Volunteers from Calcot and Binfield Cricket Clubs combined their skills to play a match against Berkshire Stags Visually Impaired Cricket Club.

What was meant to be a fundraiser against Bracknell recruitment company, Alexander Mann Solutions, turned into an awareness-raising match against a newly-named team, created for the evening of Calfield - a combination of the names Calcot and Binfield.

The Calfield players were wearing vision impairment simulation glasses, Sim Spec, and four team members were also blindfolded, making the contest more even and testing the senses of their players to the limits.

The ball is a small football, containing ball bearings, so that players can hear it coming.

The rules are the same for sighted cricket, but there are a few additional ones here. The boundary is smaller, if you are a blind player, you get two bounces of the ball before you have to hit it.

In a match of 15 overs, Calfield scored 100 runs for 7 but the Stags were victorious, with a score of 101 for 3.

Jeanette Stacey, from Berkshire Stags, said: "The match has raised awareness of the sport and we hope will act as a recruitment drive.

"We have players from the ages of 14 to 70. We would like to get more people playing. Players are graded, according to their visual ability. We've got a range of glasses than simulate certain conditions and we make players wear glasses, to balance up the teams." The stags have a busy season ahead of them in the Development League, with their next match against Somerset at the weekend.

The match against Alexander Mann Solutions has been rescheduled until later this month.

For information about the Berkshire Stags visit www.berkshirestags.co.uk/