Former England cricketer Matthew Hoggard attended a sportsman’s dinner in St Neots which raised thousands of pounds for charity.

More than 300 people attended the event at the Priory Centre on March 9, which was organised by the Rotary Club of St Neots, St Mary’s.

Hoggard, a former Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England cricketer spoke at the event, which raised £10,000 for local good causes.

He gave the audience an amusing insight into his career, which started as a 17-year-old bowler at Pudsey Cricket Club, rising to the ranks of an England player three years later. In 2005, he was part of an England team that beat the Australians to win the Ashes.

Rotary Club president, Vijay Patel, welcomed all those who attended from many of the town’s leading businesses and organisations, including St Neots mayor, Derek Giles.

The rotary event, now in its 28th year, has raised more than £200,000 for local charities, bringing many famous sporting names to the town representing sports as diverse as rugby, cricket, soccer, motor racing, national hunt racing, golf, boxing and snooker.

Club president Vijay Patel with Matthew Hoggard.