Cropredy Cricket Club to host England Masterclass

Junior cricketers from a village near Banbury are set for a masterclass from five times Ashes winner Lydia Greenway OBE.

Cropredy Cricket Club will host the former England international as a curtain raiser to the club’s entry in this year’s Voneus Village Cup.

The prestigious Voneus Village Cup, which has been run by The Cricketer magazine since 1972,  this year sees 356 grassroots cricket clubs from villages across the UK compete for the chance to play in the final at Lord’s.

The clubs are divided into 32 regional groups for the early rounds, and Cropredy Cricket Club will take on Oxford Downs in the first round of the Oxfordshire group on the afternoon of Sunday, April 28.

That same morning, Voneus ambassador Lydia will be at Cropredy where she will lead coaching sessions for the club’s junior teams.

Peter Cooling, chairman of the club, said: “We are delighted that we have been chosen to host a Lydia Greenway masterclass at Cropredy Cricket Club.

“Our junior section is absolutely thriving – we have teams ranging from u8s right up to u15, which really future proofs the club. Anyone who wants to play cricket is welcome at Cropredy.”

Junior Cricket Chairman Chris Plumbe added: “Four of our u13s girls play county cricket and we are the only club locally fielding girls’ teams, so to have Lydia – who was England woman cricketer of the year in 2010 – sharing tips and experience with our juniors is just so exciting. Everyone is buzzing for it.”

Voneus Village Cup ambassador Lydia Greenway said: “Clubs like Cropredy are the lifeblood of cricket and I can’t wait to cast my eye over the talent on display there.

“This year’s Voneus Village Cup promises to be an enthralling competition, as always, and I’m excited to see how Cropredy fare as they set out on the road to Lord’s.”

Huw Turbervill, editor of The Cricketer, added: “Here at The Cricketer, we love to celebrate our wonderful sport at all levels, from grassroots all the way up to international.

“To be able combine those two levels by having a former England star like Lydia visit a club like Cropredy shows perfectly why the Voneus Village Cup is such a special tournament.”

Cropredy have entered The Voneus Village cup on 28 occasions, the first time in 1996, and enjoyed their best result in 2001 when they reached the group semi-final. 

But there are high hopes of a better run this year. Chairman Peter added: “We know we’re playing at a slightly higher level than some of our local rivals, so fingers crossed that this is the year we make it all the way to Lords for the final on Sunday, September 15.”

Voneus is currently building an ultrafast full fibre network in and around Banbury, bringing better broadband to homes and businesses in even the hardest to reach communities. To find out more visit www.voneus.com