THE boys of the New York Police Department left the Big Apple armed only with their bats - to play a cricket match against colleagues from Canada.

And it all took place in Hagley on Tuesday (August 11).

The NYPD and the boys in blue from Toronto were taking part in the Worcester City Police Cricket Carnival, with matches at clubs across the county held during this week.

And New York police captain Syed Hassan's verdict on the idyllic pitch next to Hagley Hall and St John the Baptist Church was: "The field is awesome."

Wicket keeper, president and manager Sgt Mahaan Chandu, aged 52, a veteran with 23 years in the NYPD, said: "England is a Mecca for cricketers.

"We're not used to a ground this beautiful - it's all grass, no weeds, no rocks, no dirt and no hills."

The cricket carnival is organised every two years by Worcester City Police Cricket Club and is open to police, fire service and military teams from across the globe.

Besides the Worcester club, this year's competitors were the Adjutant General's Corps Cricket Club, a part of the British Army, Hereford and Worcester Fire Service and the NYPD, Toronto and Kent Police Cricket Clubs.

The NYPD team was bolstered by several police players from Northern Ireland, who are helping in a project to introduce "street cricket" to disadvantaged youngsters in New York.

And the international flavour was rounded off by the appearance of Wayne "Rubber" Stokes, from Melbourne, Australia, playing for Worcester.

By the end of the Hagley match, the NYPD team had scored 144 runs - but the Toronto side won by four wickets, with one ball to spare.

Other venues for the matches in the carnival were Martley, Stourport, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Bewdley, Colwall and Worcester, with the final due to take place at Ombersley on Friday.

Mark Baker, chairman of cricket at the Hagley club, said: "Hosting the event between the NYPD and Toronto police is unique - the last time a match in the carnival was held here was about 20 years ago, when Barbados police played here."

Graham Blomfeld, who spent 41 years with West Mercia Police and is chairman of Worcester Police Cricket Club, said: "We formed this event in 1996 and it's not all about cricket.

"It's to foster relationships and swap ideas about best police practice across the world."

Toronto Police cricket president and opening batsman, Sgt Mansoor Ahmad, said: "Our country's first president in 1867, Sir John A McDonald, declared cricket as the national sport of Canada.

"Ice hockey has taken over as that but cricket is getting more popular now."