First-class fund-raiser

MATT WILLIAMS

CRICKET: SHAW Cricket Club is organising a unique fund-raising trip to raise money for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, Cystic Fibrosis and club funds.

The Saddleworth and District League outfit are planning a road trip to all the major county cricket grounds in the UK over five days.

The intrepid party will leave Shaw’s Holebottom Clough ground at 8am on June 22 and will head to Old Trafford, where officials of the Red Rose county will officially wave off the group on their tour of the remaining 17 county venues across England and Wales.

The party will then finish their journey on the Saturday morning with an appearance on Sky Sports Cricket AM programme before heading to Lord’s and a tour of the home of cricket.

Organiser Matt Williams, who is also secretary of Championship play-hopefuls Blackpool FC said: “The number of people who visit the 92 Football League clubs for charity is on the increase and I thought this would be something different.

“I know it has been done before by a small number of other clubs but I think we are the first in this area.

“Through my role at Blackpool FC I have managed to source accommodation and Rochdale-based Rentruk have agreed to provide us with a seven-seater vehicle for the trip.

“Finding sponsors and asking people to donate has been the easy bit, the difficult bit has been to convince our wives to let us go!

“The majority of counties have pledged to support our cause with the donation of signed merchandise and we are in talks with Sky Sports and the BBC about covering the journey.

“We are setting up a website for people to sponsor and donate online and I know those that are on the trip won’t be shy in asking people at the various motorway services etc that we stop at to donate to the worthy causes.”

The party includes Shaw CC president Mark Stafford, former Athletic striker and Shaw player Matthew Tipton, club treasurer Paul Harrison, the Chronicle’s Saddleworth and District Cricket League writer Kevin Richardson, who will provide day-to-day reports from the trip, and Williams himself.



Day one



1, Lancashire

2, Yorkshire

3, Durham

4, Derbyshire

5, Nottinghamshire





Day two



6, Leicestershire

7, Northants

8, Warwicks

9, Worcestershire

10, Gloucestershire





Day three



11, Glamorgan

12, Somerset

13, Hampshire

14, Sussex





Day four



15, Kent

16, Essex

17, Surrey





Day five



18, Middlesex