Peter Shields
North Down Cricket Club, in conjunction with Rotary International and the Ulster Grasshoppers, is hosting a charity Twenty20 cricket match on Friday May 27th at The Green in Comber.
North Down players Taimur Khan and Neil Russell will captain the respective teams but there is a very international flavour to both sides
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Khan will have a number of overseas ‘pros’ in his ‘Rotary International XI’ line-up while Russell’s Grasshoppers team is made up of some of the top local players.
Perhaps the biggest draw on the night will be the presence of Waringstown’s Obus Pienaar who has started of the local domestic season in scintillating form with the bat, racking up a succession of high scores.
It is anticipated that some members of the Pakistan and Ireland squads who are staying locally and preparing for the ODI series, will be present to add their support.
Proceeds of the event will go towards Rotary sponsored charities including “Shelterbox” who send disaster relief boxes containing the essentials for a family of ten to rebuild their lives, following a disaster, to areas all over the World including, more recently, the Haiti and Japan Earthquakes, and the Pakistan 2010 floods. Also benefiting will be Rotary’s Polio Eradication programme and, the Jaipur Limb Appeal.
The game is due to start at 6pm, with refreshments available to purchase inside the ground.