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Brothers complete unique cricket challenge for MND

Alice Smith
BBC News, West of England
Richard Harris A man wearing a purple vest top and a white and purple hat poses for a picture with three boys all wearing orange vests and navy blue hatsRichard Harris
The challenge brought the brothers face-to-face with cricketing stars including Freddie Flintoff

Three brothers raised nearly £4,000 for charity by completing a unique cricket challenge.

Tom, James, and Charlie, aged 16, 14, and 12, ran a lap at all 18 first-class county cricket grounds in England over four days, covering more than 1,200 miles with their father.

The challenge was inspired by their grandfather, David, who battled motor neurone disease (MND) for two years before his death in December 2023.

The boys completed the challenge in July and August 2024 and this week they handed over £3,755 to the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA).

As keen cricketers, the brothers wanted to honour their granddad's love for the sport while raising money to support families living with the condition.

Along the way, they attended matches at Headingley in Leeds, Lord's in London, the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, and Somerset's County Ground.

Richard Harris Two men and three boys wearing tshirts pose for a photograph in the sunshineRichard Harris
The challenge was inspired by the boys' grandfather who battled motor neurone disease (MND) for two years

Speaking to BBC Radio Somerset, Tom said: "Our granddad loved cricket. He was a member of Somerset County Cricket Club, so we thought it would be nice to visit all 18 first-class grounds.

"Lord's was particularly special - it's the home of cricket, and there was a women's Hundred game on. It was surreal to be there."

Their father Richard said when his dad was diagnosed with MND in 2022 one of the biggest impacts was losing his voice.

"The MNDA provided a tablet that allowed him to communicate, which was invaluable to us as a family.

"Without the association's support, we wouldn't have had that connection with him," he said.

Richard Harris Three boys wearing orange tshirts present a cheque to a man in a blue jacket.Richard Harris
The boys raised £3,755 for the MNDA to help support families living with the condition

The challenge also brought the brothers face-to-face with cricketing stars such as Freddie Flintoff, Harry Brook, and Adil Rashid.

At Headingley, the group were treated as honoured guests and took to the stage during a match and at the Utilita Bowl, they received a similar welcome.

Richard said the group's homecoming at Somerset's County Ground was equally special.

"The boys were guests of honour, took part in the coin toss, and formed a guard of honour with their friends," Richard said.

He added he "couldn't be more proud".

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