Weather failed to dampen spirits on another successful Cricket United Day

Weather failed to dampen spirits on another successful Cricket United Day For the fifth successive year the Kia Oval turned blue for the event which brings together three cricket charities – the PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust, the Lord’s Taverners and Chance to Shine – who aim to change lives through cricket, in a major awareness and fundraising campaign. The majority of spectators who attended the third day of the third England v South Africa Test – the 100th Test staged at the Oval -wore blue to support the charities with Sky Sports, Channel Five and BBC Test Match Special commentators again dusting down their blue suits and ties to help promote the event which continues to grow in popularity. Blue bails and stumps were used and the sponsor LED boards around the Oval were also turned blue for a day in support of Cricket United. The three charities were represented at Cricket United Day with Brian Rose, the former Somerset and England batsman, promoting the work of the PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust. Rose is one of many past and present cricketers who have benefited from the support of the PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust who paid for dental implant surgery after his teeth fell out. Rose found it embarrassing to speak in public and could not work as a consequence. The dental implants have helped Rose’s speech to return to normal and he has now regained his confidence sufficiently to appear in a new PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust film which was shown, along with films of the work done by the Lord’s Taverners and Chance to Shine, on Sky during Cricket United Day. England players again threw their weight behind Cricket United Day by drawing doodles of some of the greats of the game associated with significant performances at the Kia Oval and donating their match worn shirts. Joe Root doodled Graham Gooch, Keaton Jennings drew Sir Ian Botham – now his county Chairman at Durham – Moeen Ali sketched another cricketing Knight, Sir Vivian Richards, and Jimmy Anderson produced three for the price of one in sketching ‘two legends and Swanny’ – Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Graeme Swann. The unique doodles produced by the England players raised over £ 9,000 which will help change lives through cricket while the shirts worn by the England players on Cricket United Day can be bought by cricket fans through an online auction which ends on Sunday 6 August. All proceeds from Cricket United Day will be shared between the three charities. The PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust help past and present cricketers and their loved ones in times of hardship and upheaval, by offering financial support, advice, counselling, and a dedicated helpline they can call. The Lord’s Taverners is the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity whose objective is to give disadvantaged and disabled young people a sporting chance. They offer sporting opportunities through a range of cricket programmes, by donating cricket kit and by providing wheelchair accessible minibuses for schools and organisations throughout the UK. Chance to Shine offer a great introduction to cricket to those who might otherwise not try the game. Over three million children in state schools across the country have taken part in Chance to Shine coaching sessions since their founding, while their Chance to Shine Street program, taking cricket to inner-city areas, is also having great success. To bid on a Cricket United, match worn England shirt click here, or you can simply donate £ 5 by texting CRICKET to 70123 or by visiting here.