JASON LEWRY says he feared for his life when his plane was caught in a tropical thunderstorm during a recent sightseeing trip in Zimbabwe.

Lewry, team-mates Vikram Solanki and Graeme Swann and two members of the England A team's medical staff, were returning from a day trip to Victoria Falls when their twin-engine plane got caught in a violent electrical storm on the outskirts of the capital Harare.

Lewry said: "I can't even describe the experience, we all thought we were goners.

"The plane went from 9,500ft to 900ft in a matter of minutes, we were being thrown about all over the place.

"The pilot, who had five years experience, said he had never known anything like it."

The tourists also had to endure the worst rainfall in 60 years with 50ml falling during one cloudburst.

But the left-armer from Worthing says he thoroughly enjoyed the trip, even though it was cut short by a shoulder injury which has forced him to return home a fortnight early.

"The whole thing was a fantastic experience and I'm sure my cricket is going to benefit," he added.

"The wickets are so flat there that the ball goes soft after about three overs, it doesn't do a thing.

"You just have to keep things tight and wait for the batsmen to make mistakes, it's a great lesson for any bowler.

"If I had stayed out there I might have been able to play in the last game. I was bitterly disappointed to leave, there was definitely a lump in my throat when I said goodbye, I had been with the guys for six weeks and we all got on really well."

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