AFTER four months dodging bullets in Afghanistan it was Ross Haines turn to dish out the fireworks when he donned his cricket flannels for an Old Vigornians touring match.

The 25-year-old Royal Artillery lieutenant blasted 131 from just 89 balls against Blandford Forum to win the Evening News/Duncan Fearnley Cricket Sales Ltd Cricketer of the Week award.

His innings was the ninth highest ever score for the OVs and came as Haines helped the OVs reach a formidable 267-6 off 40 overs. It paved the way for a 42-run victory with Phil Mackie, 5-17, taking the wickets.

It is all a long way from Haines' recent spell in Kabul where as a soldier with the 19th regiment of the Royal Artillery, his patrol hit national headlines after exchanging fire with Afghani gunmen.

Haines, who is based at Colchester but from Evesham, was happy to swap the heat and dust of Kabul for England again.

OV's touring match was only his second game this summer -- his previous one coming against an Afghanistan regimental team in the Far East.

"We got whipped basically," recalls Haines. "Cricket is their national sport and before the Taliban banned sport, they were used to playing teams like Pakistan so they were really good.

"The Taliban had banned sport so the pitch we played on had not been worked on for five years and was like concrete.

"Balls were coming down at what felt like 90mph."

Haines has won £40 vouchers to spend at Duncan Fearnley Cricket Sales Ltd at Unit 10, Sherriff Street, Worcester.

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