SIR Richie Richardson, the former West Indian cricket captain, and former Portsmouth footballer Guy Butters joined golfers to raise funds for Barbudan victims of Hurricane Irma in the inaugural Barbuda Cup match, held at Cowdray Park Golf Club.

The Barbuda Cup, co-ordinated by Katy Tytler of The Country PA, was set up to help victims of the devastating hurricane that decimated the island in September, 2017.

The golf day had a genuine Caribbean flavour, with teams adorned in colourful shirts and served with rum cocktails at the Halfway Hut. The clear blue sky was also reminiscent of the Caribbean, while a steel band accompanied the auction and barbecue.

Tim Allen, Cowdray’s director of golf, said: “We were delighted to host such a vibrant charity day on our course. The Caribbean vibe was contagious, excellent golf was played and the course held up beautifully, despite the very warm, dry weather.”

Katy Tytler added: “Having spent our honeymoon on Antigua, we feel a personal connection with the community, and I’m touched by the support of our West Sussex residents. It was an honour to work with the High Commissioner, Karen-Mae Hill. We have plans in place to know that the money raised will going directly to the projects most in need. We plan to visit the area soon.”

The day was an outstanding success with 18 teams entered and money raised approaching £18,000.

Richie Richardson, famous for the wide-brimmed maroon hat (never a helmet) he wore while accumulating nearly 6,000 runs in Test matches, proved his golfing talent and his team finished fifth overall.

The Roadmender Asphalt team of Harry Pearl, Baz Foster, Dick Oatley and professional Obi Ayton were victorious on the day and the Barbuda Cup is likely to become an annual event.