NOSTALGIA: Cricketers bat for charity close to their hearts

Napton cricketers scored their first run of the season by bridging the 100-mile gap between their Warwickshire village and London’s Lords cricket ground. The men who made the trip arrived at Lords so early that the gates were locked and no-one was around to greet them. But the energetic runners were not stumped for accommodation, they were given five-star treatment at a hotel across the road.

The group set off at 4.30am from Napton Bridge and arrived in London just before 3pm, despite anticipating to arrive in early in the evening.

The Westmoorland Hotel, across the street from Lords, lent the team a room for showering and changing, which they were very grateful for.

To complete the feat, the players ran in relays and collected money for charity on the way.

Because one of their members suffers from the disease the choice to raise funds for Leukaemia Research was a straghtforward one.

Club fixtures secretary Brian McLoughan said the team were all in very good spirits when they returned home after the success of the run.