A CRICKETER whose life was saved by a 33-pint blood transfusion has played his first game in almost a year.

Bobby Don of Churchill Avenue, Halstead, cheated death last July and is lucky to be alive let alone back at the crease playing the sport he loves.

Last year the 21-year-old urged more people to give blood after he visited Colchester General Hospital because he was passing blood and he felt drained.

Don was rushed to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel when he started bleeding heavily.

He had a 33-pint blood transfusion and doctors told him he was two minutes from death as a result of Meckel's diverticulum - a common abdominal condition which rarely develops into a problem.

On Saturday the former Ramsey College student, who is now fighting fit, turned out in his first match for Halstead Cricket Club.

"We got absolutely annihilated.

"I was not quite up to playing first team cricket as I am not match fit but it was good to be out there," said Don.

Halstead took on Mildenhall Cricket Club in Marshall Hatchick Two Counties League division one at the Star Stile, in Sudbury Road, and Don said his team were all out for about 95 runs compared to Mildenhall's 215 tally.

"As my first game back I expected it to be hard and it was, hopefully I can improve.

"Everyone was happy I was back, they were really worried about me," Don said.