Cricket fever grips county (From Western Telegraph)

Cricket fever grips county

10:00am Thursday 2nd July 2009

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Cricket fever is gripping Pembrokeshire ahead of the first-ever npower Ashes test in Wales, thanks to the company’s donation of match tickets, equipment and funding to junior teams in the county.

RWE npower, which is building a £1bn gas-fired power station in Pembrokeshire, is keen to nurture junior cricket in a county that already has a passion for the sport.

For Hundleton and Wallaston Cricket Club, the donation of 12 match tickets was a dream come true for junior members who had been keen to watch their cricketing heroes play in Cardiff.

“A lot of players had wanted to watch the Ashes but were unable to get tickets because they had sold out,’’ says coach Steve Williams. “As you would imagine there is quite a demand for the tickets so we will be using a draw system to allocate them fairly.’’ The club, which runs under-11s and under-13s teams, was also given £1,000 by npower to buy new cricket nets and every junior player was presented with an urban cricket kit.

Steve Williams says the club can secure a £1,000 Sportsmatch grant on the strength of this donation. “We are very grateful to npower. The new nets will greatly assist in the training of young children because less time will need to be spent on running for cricket balls and more on the coaching itself.’’ Hundleton and Wallaston Cricket Club, which had its first international honour last year when player Rebecca Williams represented Wales at under-17 ladies’ level, is not the only beneficiary of npower’s support for cricket in Pembrokeshire. The company has given Hook Cricket Club a cricket stump signed by England bowler Stuart Broad, to be auctioned on July 10th.

The auction takes place annually as part of fund raising activities for the Colin Lloyd Trophy charity match. The club’s youth coach and club development officer, Stuart Blaxland, says the stump is expected to raise at least £200. “We are hugely grateful to npower. Stuart Broad is a hero of my sons, so I will certainly be helping the bidding along.’’ Cricket kits have also been presented to junior members at Hook Cricket Club. At Tavernspite School, a newly formed cricket club for seven-to-nine-year-olds has also been presented with cricket kits, as well as £200 to buy new equipment.

Andy Smith, project development manager at Pembroke Power Station, says npower is delighted to extend its support of cricket into Pembrokeshire. “The first npower Ashes series in Wales has given us the ideal opportunity to broaden our cricket activities to encourage more young people into the sport,’’ he says.

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