Charity cricket success as Blues Foundation triumph

Blues Foundation were proud winners of the first Charity Cricket Match as a final-ball boundary secured the slimmest of victories over The Mintridge Marvels on an evening that raised a humbling £1,665 per charity.

Hosted at Sharnbrook & Bromham Cricket Club on Friday 26th August, the 16-over fixture saw stars from across the sporting world descend on Bedfordshire and was the culmination of a meticulous two months planning process to ensure a fantastic occasion for all participants and spectators 

The Mintridge Marvels won the toss and elected to bat first on an extremely friendly wicket, scoring 87 from their 16 overs. Several players retired out of the innings to allow everyone a go at the crease; youngster Harry Latham top scoring with 17 before handy knocks of 12 from Fil Kamps and captain Mal Loye.

Five wickets were taken during the first innings; three of which from former Bedford Blues legends in Jimmy Chandler, Brendan Burke and Cameron Glanvill, while the final two were taken by siblings Charlie and Alice Perry, children of Blues Club Receptionist, Sophie.

In response, Blues Foundation set off at a good pace including three successive boundaries from Ben Whetstone, who scored 20 before being run out. A middle order collapse including a golden duck from Sharnbrook & Bromham Saturday captain, Andrew Jackson had them on the ropes, but they were steered to the final ball victory by Blues COO, Gareth Alred and his Sharnbrook compatriot Daniel Wall.

The five wickets were again shared around as Patrick Latham, Fil Kamps, Jade Windley, Laura Sugar MBE and Ollie Bennett all struck with decisive deliveries.

Blues Foundation would like to thank a whole host of people for their support in making this event successful, including all employees of Blues Foundation and Mintridge Foundation who were on hand to host a fantastic family fun day including barbecue, cake sale, silent auction and raffle.

Thanks to PA Announcer, , official scorer Ryan Robinson and umpires Paul Goodwin and Charlie Clark.

A massive thanks to Woods Hardwick who sponsored the event. And a huge thank you to the Sharnbrook Playing Fields Association for providing a spectacular venue perfect for welcoming everyone on the day.

We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future and defending our trophy!

Blues Foundation Squad:

Gareth Alred (C), Ben Whetstone, Jimmy Chandler, Cameron Glanvill, Brendan Burke, Andrew Jackson, Tom Saunders, Katie Barber, Charlie Perry, Alice Perry, Dan Wall

Mintridge Marvels Squad:

Mal Loye (C), Laura Sugar MBE, Danielle Brown MBE, Fil Kamps, Jade Windley, Charlie Windley, Patrick Latham, Harry Latham, Perry Shears, Ollie Bennett, Lola Curtis Loye

Don’t forget, keep checking both charities websites regularly and their respective social media channels to hear first about the latest developments regarding this charity cricket match; or sign up to the Blues Foundation newsletter by clicking here for regular updates.

You can find Blues Foundation and the Mintridge Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you on the day.