International cricket stars come to Milton Keynes for special game on Windrush Day

The match between a Courtney Walsh XI and an Ace Programme XI is taking place as the centrepiece of a family fun day at Milton Keynes Village Cricket Pavilion on Worrelle Avenue in Middleton.

The all-day event is taking place between 10am and 7pm, and is being hosted in Milton Keynes while it serves as the UK’s City of Cricket for 2025.

Former West Indies internationals including Courtney Walsh, Victor Walcott and Devon Malcolm are playing for Walsh’s XI, alongside Roland Butcher, who was the first black cricketer to play for the England team.

They will be up against the Ace Programme XI, who are described as a talented team of youngsters of Caribbean descent, who are ready to play county cricket.

Other activities at the festival include stalls, dominoes, a bouncy castle, face painting and a memorabilia auction, while there will also be family cricket games, heritage displays, music and cultural performances.

Tickets are £5 for adults with children free, while the day is being organised by Friends of the Caribbean in partnership with Bucks Cricket and Broughton and Milton Keynes Parish Council.

Windrush Day is celebrated annually on June 22 and recognises the history and contribution of African-Caribbean migrants in the UK, who helped the country’s economy following the Second World War.

The day gets its name because around 1,000 migrants arrived on a ship called HMT Empire Windrush.

Tickets for the day can be purchased on the event’s dedicated page on Eventbrite.

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