Quick runs for Olly as he visits cricket grounds

A DOWNEND cricketer is planning to visit all 18 county cricket club grounds in the country in over 48 hours to raise money for charity.

Olly Ralph, 22, a PE teacher who captains Downend Cricket Club’s second XI, hopes to use to use sponsorship gained during the 1,127-mile round-trip towards a visit to Uganda in February with charity Cricket Without Boundaries.

The charity helps raise awareness of HIV/aids in African countries, as well as giving local children and adults cricket coaching sessions to encourage them to get more involved in the sport.

He will also be training a group of Ugandans to become official cricket coaches, with the aim of building a cricketing legacy in the country.

Olly said: “Cricket Without Boundaries does some fantastic work in Africa and I am proud to be able to join them next spring. I got the fundraising idea from a group of football fans who covered all 92 football grounds in 92 hours and thought, why not try and do the same but with cricket grounds?”

Careful route planning will see Olly start on Friday, December 20 at Gloucestershire’s County Ground in Nevil Road, Ashley Down, before going on to Glamorgan and Worcestershire.

The final stop will be at Somerset County Cricket Club in Taunton on Sunday, December 22.

At each ground, Olly will go behind the scenes with some of the players. He will also auction off prizes donated by the county cricket clubs along the way.

If you can help by donating to Olly’s mission, log on to his fundraising website at www.just giving. com/18in48challenge.