Close your eyes and picture the perfect cricketing weather. Open them: you’re at Falmer Sports Centre.
Connecting Club’s charity tournament was rightfully blessed with a gorgeous day for cricket, and the players gleefully took full advantage of the balmy conditions.
Founded in May 2015 by Sussex alumni, Connecting Clubs International is a collection of people who appreciate the importance of sport, and the vital role it can play in uniting communities across the world. Working alongside local communities, Connecting Clubs utilises sport as a method of addressing pressing social issues, such as nutrition concerns, gender inequality and economic barriers to participation.
Currently working with their partners in Nepal to promote long-term social change through a cricket and health programme, Connecting Clubs’ work is of the highest order; and Sunday’s tournament proved a fitting celebration of its past, present, and future contribution to international wellbeing.
A sixes day with 10 matches and 30 players, the event was a sprawling goliath, and keeping track of what was happening proved a difficult task; thankfully Connecting Clubs’ twitter feed was there to fill in the blanks.
In the end the Sussex Men’s Cricket Clubs Committee won the tournament, impressively claiming victory in all of their games.
Over £500 was raised through match fees, text donations, a quiz and fines collected on the day: a superb total for everyone involved to be proud of.
Text GCCI11 £5 to 70070 to donate £5 for Connecting Club’s ongoing project in Nepal
Glenn Houlihan
Image: Angus Berry