FORMER England batsman Mark Ramprakash provided members of Sturminster Marshall Cricket Club with a signed bat.

Ramprakash issued his goodwill message on the willow in the unlikely surroundings of the Chelsea Flower Show where he opened the Pemberton Greenish Recess Garden, one of the show gardens at the horticultural world's highest profile event.

The garden is a joint venture between Knoll Gardens of Hampreston near Wimborne and Elysium Garden Design in Lancashire. Ross Humphrey is nursery manager of the Wimborne garden and all-rounder for Marshall's cricket team.

And the club link does not end there with head gardener Trevor Walker one of the club's leading bowlers, and Pat Humprhey and Knoll owner Neil Lucas both vice-presidents.

Handing over the signed bat as a souvenir, ex-Surrey man Ramprakash said: "Village cricket is the backbone of the English game and when I found out about the Knoll Gardens connection I was delighted to sign a bat for the Sturminster Marshall club."

A delighted Humphrey said: "Ramps is a cricketing icon and it was just fantastic to meet him at the Chelsea show.

"I gave him an open invitation to come down to Dorset and see the team in action. And if that's not sufficient incentive, our Sturminster Marshall cricket teas are certainly worth the journey."

If Ramprakash ever manages to squeeze in a visit to Sturminster Marshall he's sure to be in great demand, and not just from the cricketing fraternity.

The local village hall hosts weekly ballroom dancing lessons under the title of Strictly Come Dancing', the name of the BBC series he won back in 2006.