A GIGGING guitarist has performed live in front of a global audience after being picked to play during Cricket World Cup matches.

Darren Hunt from Freshbrook is used to performing at Swindon pubs and clubs but has spent several days surrounded by stadium-sized crowds and scores of TV cameras.

The 42-year-old got tagged by a friend into a Facebook post seeking applications to play during the cricket games and was chosen after sending in an audition tape.

Darren said: "If someone scores a six or gets bowled out, I go up on stage and play a few licks on the cricket bat guitar they gave me.

"I don't really know how to play cricket so I just keep an eye on things and if the audience go crazy, that's my cue.

"There are around 20,000 people in the stadium and who knows how many more watching at home but I'm not too nervous because it's easy to feed off the crowd's energy and they're so supportive.

"It's nice to see people appearing on the screens air-guitaring to the music I'm playing and it's quite intense at times because there are a lot of emotions running high from the game and the music. I was so in the zone, focused on playing properly and listening to my earpiece, that the shock of what I'd done didn't fully hit me until after.

"This has been a really good experience and I've never done anything on this scale before, it is by far the best thing I've done, it's been a lot of fun. Hopefully it opens a few doors to perform at other events on this level."

Darren will return to the Cardiff Wales Stadium for the last time today to entertain the crowds during South Africa v Afghanistan, the final match of the international sporting event to be played in the Welsh capital.

Darren originally started out on drums because his dad played them, then moved to guitar when he was 12 and joined a family band, then played solo gigs. Now he teaches others as part of the Swindon Music Cooperative and is enjoying his unexpected time in the spotlight.

He added: ""My friends and family have been watching out for me on TV and shared photos on Facebook, my mum is really chuffed, my wife and kids are excited when they see me play there."

"Playing a guitar shaped like a cricket bat is quite unusual and quite difficult when sitting down, but I got used to it - and it'll be sold at a charity auction after the World Cup's over."