Cricket partners

The sheer size of the programme is awesome. There is nothing like it in Australia, from where I originate. In a country like England, where the population is so much bigger than in somewhere like Australia, you need a programme such as Chance to shine to find another Flintoff or Hoggard.

I’m glad that Marylebone Cricket Club has been able to support and work with Chance to shine. We provide the campaign with office space at Lord’s so it can base itself here. We invited all of the London schools in Chance to shine to be the MCC’s guests at a Friends Provident Trophy match in July at Lord’s. More than a thousand children attended with their teachers - and almost all of them were here for the first time.

It doesn’t matter who you are. No one ever forgets their first day at the home of cricket and we’re delighted to have provided that unique experience for so many children. It showed them where they could end up if they work hard at their game and it is important to give young people such opportunities and aspirations.

We have also donated use of the Nursery Ground at Lord’s on several occasions during 2007 - including the first staging of the Chance to shine knock-out cup. Imagine that - a school which had never played competitive cricket at the start of the summer finishing up winning a tournament at Lord’s.

We’re behind Chance to shine because everyone here at Lord’s believes that the campaign is making an important difference to cricket and to the nation’s young people. I urge everyone to support Chance to shine in whatever way you can.

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