Carnival cricket to swell charity coffers (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Carnival cricket to swell charity coffers

THANKS to a generous grant of £9,400 from the National Lottery's Awards for All Fund and sponsorship from Equidebt Ltd, Ilmington Cricket Club is gearing up for its annual carnival of big-hitting action on Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and July 20.

Local charities are again set to benefit from an event that has gained a reputation as one of south Warwickshire's pre-eminent displays of amateur talent, embodied by some awesome batting during the Longsdon Twenty20 Cup.

This year will see a local fund, set up in memory of three-year-old Grace Wright become a new beneficiary.

Luxury A Silent Auction will be held to raise funds for the appeal, with attendees posting sealed bids for a host of great prizes including a private trip for ten people on a luxury yacht from the Sandy Point Yacht Company, two VIP tickets to the Global Gathering, the opportunity to have a handmade cricket bat and two debenture tickets to Lord's for the Friends Provident competition final in August donated by Charlie Pritchard of LPD Europe.

In addition, the Tom Pidgeon Fund, set up as a memorial to a stalwart of local junior cricket and which finances cricket coaching courses for local amateurs, will also benefit for a third successive year.

The Saturday programme, enabled primarily by the National Lottery Awards for All grant, is geared towards youth cricket.

Under-14 teams from Stratford, Coventry and the North Cotswolds will be taking part in a 16-over round-robin competition for the Longsdon Junior Cup.

Under-11- and Under 12 teams from Bretforton, Ilmington, Stratford and the North Cotswolds will also do battle, while there will also be an intra-club tournament featuring the 50 or so children of all ages who attend the host club's regular Sunday morning coaching sessions.

The next day will see the fifth annual Longsdon Cup Twenty20 tournament.

The last three have been won by the visiting West Indian Wanderers from Coventry, but last year's final saw them run close by a President's XI.

Watch out for some star performers for the Presidents XI this year including Exhall skipper Simon Hollands, Shipston counterpart Gary Betteridge and Presidents' skipper Pete Dawson who is currently a member of the Warwickshire Over-50s side.

Teams from Ilmington, winners in 2004, and Kissing Tree will also play their part in what is always a keenly-fought contest.

A Player of the Tournament award, given for the best overall individual performance, will this year be sponsored by Global Gathering.

Family entertainment plays a large part in proceedings with Bobo the Magic Clown amazing everyone with his comic capers and nifty tricks on Saturday, along with face painting and other attractions.

There will also be a coconut shy, Aunt Sally, Caribbean food, pig roast, bric-a-brac stall run by North Cotswold Community Radio, instant £25 prizes, sponsored by Storm Geomatics, for any spectator who catches a ball hit over the boundary ropes and much more.

The Purity Cricket Pub, Pimms and Champagne Tent and a Cubars Cocktail Bar will ensure that adults are well catered for!