Bears smash charity target

Bearsted Cricket Club smashed their weekend charity challenge. Members and friends of the club attempted to walk, run or cycle a total distance of 1,749km – a nod to the year the club was formed.

Infact they ended up covering over 3,000km and in doing so have raised over £7,000. Kent Cricket lent their support prior to the event, with the likes of Sam Billing and Matt Walker posting videos on social media.

Money raised is going towards Brain Tumour Research. Richard Luxton, a member of the club for 25 years, is currently fighting a brain tumour and the current lockdown gave members the chance to get together and come up with a challenge to raise money.

Even a couple of their former overseas players, Jordan French and James Tyson, supported the challenge, from Tasmania.

Luxton was delighted with the efforts of the club, saying: “The idea was that as a club, instead of playing league cricket, we got together for a charity fundraiser in aid of tumour research.

“The plan was for members of the club to run, cycle or walk a total of 1,749km. That total distance was smashed and I thank all of those at the club who helped organise the event and for the players and coaches at Kent who also helped support it.” Luxton’s two sons also now play for the club and he has also been involved in coaching juniors at various age groups over the last five years or so. He said: “I was diagnosed with brain cancer in the summer of 2018, and to see the club pulling together for this cause which is basically about me, is very humbling and shows the quality of people within the club.

“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet only receive 1% of the national cancer spend.”

■ The cricket community got together at the weekend to ensure the Rainbow Run smashed expectations. Around 750 people from across Kent and as far afield as South Africa took part in the charity event, covering over 10,000km to raise over £10,000 for NHS charities.

They had initially hoped to complete 500k and raise £1,000. The Rainbow Run was born out of the cancellation of the Bluebell Run – scrapped because of the coronavirus crisis.

Kent Cricket backed the event and challenged teams across the county to compete against each other. The Initial target was collectively smashed.