Cricket star Pietersen weds his Liberty belle

The flamboyant batsman had tried to keep details of his wedding to Liberty X star Jessica Taylor a secret.

But news leaked out as teammates, including England captain Michael Vaughan and his wife Nichola, and celebrity friends began showing up at St Andrews Church in Castle Combe, Wiltshire, while villagers hung sparkling lights from windows nearby.

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Hair and make-up experts were on hand to ensure the 27-year-old blonde bride, who arrived at the church in a black Rolls-Royce, looked stunning.

Castle Combe resident Tina Seiler, 41, said: 'She was gorgeous. Her dress was a backless ivory silk chiffon design, tightly ruched at the front with sparkling beads hanging like icicles down the pleats.' After the 45-minute ceremony – which included the carol Silent Night – the bridal party and 200 guests walked to the nearby £300-a-night five-star Manor House Hotel, where all 48 rooms had been booked for the wedding.

Many homeowners with cottages backing on to the hotel grounds had agreed to the couple's request for white sparkling lights to be hung from windows lining the route, in keeping with the winter wonderland theme of the day.

Pietersen had spent the night before the wedding enjoying a quiet meal with his family and best man, England colleague Darren Gough, 37, in a private room at the hotel.

Other players, including England one-day captain Paul Collingwood, fast bowler Matthew Hoggard and veteran wicketkeeper Paul Nixon, spent the evening in what onlookers described as a 'moderate' drinking session in one of the hotel's wood-panelled bars. As the Hampshire batsman fine-tuned his speech over breakfast with his parents yesterday morning, he revealed he wasn't nervous about marriage.

And although he was dressed in sweatshirt and tracksuit, the 27-year-old, known for his outlandish hairstyles, looked well groomed with neatly cropped hair and sculpted goatee beard.

The glamorous couple, who have been dubbed the Posh and Becks of cricket, were staying in an exclusive suite at the country house hotel last night.

Renowned party-lover Pietersen appears to have settled down since meeting Jessica – who shot to fame on reality TV show Popstars – through mutual friends a year ago.

In an earlier interview he said: 'I'm not really interested in all of that malarkey any more. Now I just want to play good cricket and start a family.'