Forces contest 'Aegis' Ashes

England's soldiers bat against their Australian counteparts in Iraq © Cpl Steve Follows

As England faced up to Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 the UK Army also took on their Australian counterparts in a Twenty20 match of their own in the desert of southern Iraq.

The match took place at Tallil airbase located approximately 190 miles southeast of Baghdad and 12 miles southwest of the city of An Nasiriyah and was billed as the 'Aegis' Ashes.

Soldiers, of 1 Mechanised Brigade, swapped their combat gear for their respective nations’ one-day cricket colours for the match to raise funds for military organisations.

Both teams took time out of their busy operational schedules to raise money for the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) and the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association (BLESMA).

The Australian Army were also playing for Australian Army charities.

Despite the cricket the troops remain prepared for military action © Cpl Steve Follows

Prior to the game a total of $14,000 had been raised by the British thanks to sponsorship funds donated by some of the contractors working with British troops in Iraq.

Played on a dust bowl in searing 44C heat, with tanks rather than a pavilion overlooking the make-shift pitch at the airbase, the Australians in Tallil matched the achievements of Ricky Ponting’s side in Cape Town by claiming a victory over the England side.

England, who were flown in for the match from Basrah by Chinook helicopters, batted first and were dismissed for 93, before Australia replied with a winning 94 for 3.

Major Giles Malec (Royal Artillery), who captained the England team, said he was disappointed with the performance and the result which bore all the hallmarks of a fixture two years ago when a team from another British brigade went down to the Australians.

“This was not the result we were after, but the important thing is the money we have raised,” Major Malec said.

“The Aussies are doing a great job out here in Iraq, a real coalition success. It's great to be able to take a couple of hours out of our normal jobs here in Iraq and play a game with a famous rivalry.”

Australia's soldiers were able to chase down England's total of 93 © Cpl Steve Follows

Lieutenant Tim Moore (Royal Wessex Yeomanry), who organised the game, said: “These guys work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for up to six months.

"This is a chance for them to let their hair down for a couple of hours and forget about work.”

Despite the disappointment of defeat the spirit of the day was not lost. Lance Corporal 'Mussa' Murray (4th Battalion The Rifles) had a great day:

"The Australians were very canny when they put us into bat and they knew what they were doing," he said.

“The event itself was superb. We had a lot of banter between us and the Australians. We should have beaten them, but we didn't play to our potential.”

Australian skipper Sergeant William Rossi summed up what the game was all about:

He said: “It's about raising money for charity and combining with our fellow multi-national forces.”