Bunburys v Kent XI cricket match raises £10,000 for cancer charity
Thursday 2nd October 2014
Kent cricketers past and present turned out on Sunday to raise £10,000 for a mobile chemotherapy unit as the Bunbury Cricket Club came to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence for a 25-over match.
Dr David English CBE and his band of celebrities took on a Kent All-Star XI skippered by all-rounder Fabian Cowdrey in aid of the Hope for Tomorrow charity.
Event organiser Rosa Woodley said: “The day has raised in the region of £10,000 with funds still being counted. This money will be put towards their East Kent Mobile Chemotherapy Unit, named Caron in memory of Gloria Hunniford’s daughter Caron Keating.
“We would like to thank the Kent County Cricket Club, the Bunburys and all the people who came to support them – what a magical day.”
The travelling Bunburys batted first and Hampshire skipper Jimmy Adams opened the innings with five boundaries before leaving the field with a facial injury after being hit in the face on a lively late-summer wicket.
Former Kent batsman Joe Denly impressed at the other end, scoring a century off 58 balls despite spells from current county stars Adam Ball, Imran Qayyum and Fabian Cowdrey.
Lewis Groves, son of ex-Arsenal footballer Perry, was the pick of the bowlers and dismissed Denly, caught in the deep by ex-Kent and England paceman Martin McCague.
Denly’s Middlesex colleague Dawid Malan was caught and bowled by former Kent spinner Darren Scott for 6 before Groves Jnr stuck again – removing ex-England batsman David Smith.
James Phelps aka Fred Weasley from the Harry Potter films was then dismissed by Michael Cowdrey, cousin of captain Fabian.
Former England Under-19 star John Simpson, now at Middlesex, hit a quick-fire 14 before retiring to allow Bunburys founder David English to hit two runs before Perry Groves struck late on.
Chasing 193 to win, current Kent stars Alex Blake, Adam Ball and Fabian Cowdrey hit sixes but fell short as former England bowler Chris Silverwood struck twice as the Bunburys restricted the home side to 177 and won by 15 runs.
BUNBURYS 192-7 (Joe Denly 111, Jimmy Adams 22; Lewis Groves 3-16, Darren Scott 1-15)
KENT ALL-STARS 177-8 (Alex Blake 37, Adam Ball 31, Fabian Cowdrey 21; Chris Silverwood 2-20)