A CHARITY cricket match saw familiar faces from the cast of ITV soap Emmerdale take on a North Yorkshire village team to raise cash for disabled children.

The Emmerdale Celebrity XI team played Crackehall Cricket Club last week and as ever was a closely-fought contest with the soap star's team claiming to have won by two runs but the village club believing it to be a draw.

Chairman of Crakehall Cricket Club, near Bedale, John Shepherd said a cheque for more than £8,000 will be presented to this year's charity, a fundraising appeal to help refurbish a hydrotherapy pool at The Dales School, Morton-on-Swale, near Northallerton.

Masham brewer T&R Theakston Ltd, who sponsor the Nidderdale Cricket League, continued to support of the yearly game, as did local stallholders and The Bay Horse Inn, Crakehall.

Mr Shephard, who runs the Bay Horse Inn, said: "It was a fantastic day thanks for the good weather. The Emmerdale team always enjoy coming here, it's a beautiful, quintessentially English cricket ground, and we have run this for around 17 years.

"Our team always enjoys the event and it is usually very close - Emmerdale thought they won by two runs but we think it was a draw."

T&R Theakston Ltd donated three barrels of Lightfoot Ale for the beer tent and supplied branded cricket shirts.

Brewery director Simon Theakston said: "It was our pleasure to once again be associated with this charity cricket match, which raises a magnificent amount of money for the local community.

"We are proud of our association with the Nidderdale Cricket League and just as proud to have our name linked to this annual game."