Surrey Cricket Foundation

Throughout October we have been celebrating our local lockdown heroes, who have gone above and beyond for their clubs and communities during these difficult times.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the return to cricket earlier this year and the future of our clubs, these heroes were pro-active in getting the game back on and have supported their clubs through every means possible.

From organising fixtures to hosting virtual events, from renovating benches to setting up a local food bank, you name it and these heroes have done it! Let’s take a look at some of their hard work!

Chairman of Newdigate CC, James, kept the whole club involved during the pandemic, with quizzes, new systems to enable the return to cricket & a safe area for young children to play. His enthusiasm knows no bounds and he is a tremendous asset to the club & to cricket

At Valley End CC, girls cricket has flourished thanks to Caroline’s tireless efforts as an encouraging & motivational manager! She has created a season to remember from just a few weeks of cricket, leaving the girls inspired to practice over the winter.

Rakesh from Croydon CC has been instrumental in getting the girls playing cricket again & helped the U7,8 & 9 teams play as many as 20 matches this summer. His passion for cricket is infectious and there is no doubt that Rakesh is a real hero at Croydon.

Ashtead CC said a big thank you to James who coaches the U9 to U17 girls at the club. His leadership skills, enthusiasm, encouragement & passion for the girls & the game is second to none. He is positive on all levels making him a hero in our eyes!

Richard started a local foodbank at Merstham CC which has now spread across the country as part of the #raisethebat campaign. He has reactivated the club after lockdown, leading to 150 games being played & important fundraising! You name it, Richard's done it!

We raised a bat for Ravi who helped Kingstonian CC deliver 8 weeks of junior coaching at a local school following the closure of their home ground due to the pandemic! His contribution to the club has been invaluable, what a hero!

Mansoor has been keeping Kingstonian CC COVID compliant by getting their junior members involved in the local park when their home ground closed due to the pandemic. His initiative inspired more parents to volunteer & has led to even more coaching sessions & matches.

Mark has been tirelessly planning & implementing sessions for our junior section at Tadworth CC throughout the lockdown. He has also done 1-to-1s, managed an age group team and played for the senior teams. What a monumental effort!

At Hampton Wick Royal, Mandeep has organised training & matches almost every day of the week to accommodate all their U10s. On evenings & weekends, look no further than the cricket club & you would find Mandeep if you needed him. He has truly been a lockdown superhero!

Derek from Normandy CC took it upon himself to renovate the memorial benches around the grounds. He worked his way through all 25 of them, painstakingly taking them apart, repairing, sanding, varnishing and re-assembling them, over the last 6 months. Derek is an important part of village life and is always first to volunteer for everything!

Del has worked tirelessly & with total commitment to ensure Morden CC were able to play cricket on every available weekend of this shortened season. His attention to detail ensured all COVID regulations were in place at the club & followed by everyone.

At Battersea Ironsides CC, Tom re-organised the net facilities to help restart cricket and ensured all protocols were followed! He set up online booking procedures, liaised with coaches & ensured all sessions were compliant with the guidelines.

As Chairman of Surrey Warriors, Sashi has been keeping the whole club involved through virtual social events & checking in with all players. Once cricket restarted, he organised multiple interclub cups to get everyone involved again. The club feel lucky to have such a hero!

Lisa has been instrumental at Salfords CC in getting the U14s back playing cricket & organised a whole programme of fixtures for the team. She has organised volunteers to umpire & score throughout the season, even training some of the parents!

Thanks to all our volunteers across the county, cricket would not be the same without you and we are so grateful for your hard work through this time. Keep it up!