County quintet to join the Big Bike Ride

Batsman Stephen Peters and wicketkeeper David Murphy will be joined by former seamers Lee Daggett, now a physiotherapist with Premiership rugby club Northampton Saints, and David Wigley, along with Alan Fordham, the former county opening batsman who is now head of first-class cricket operations at the England & Wales Cricket Board on the five-day ride in October.

The Northamptonshire quintet will join Michael Vaughan, who captained England to Ashes glory 10 years ago, Andrew Flintoff, Marcus Trescothick and Steve Harmison among 60 riders who will cycle from Truro in Cornwall to the Kia Oval in the Big Bike Ride 2.

The first Big Bike Ride in 2013 raised more than £200,000 for the PCA Benevolent Fund and Tom Maynard Trust and another six-figure sum in sponsorship is the target for this year’s event.

“Big Bike Ride 1 in 2013 was an incredible experience for us all,” said Jason Ratcliffe, assistant chief executive of the PCA‎.

“The ride was really tough, but the camaraderie was inspiring and the fundraising end result was beyond expectations.

“To have another full house of riders for all five days including 30 current and past members demonstrates an incredibly strong commitment to help our two valuable charities.”

The ride will cover around 400 miles with the first leg from Truro to Instow in Devon on October 9. The following day the riders will cycle from Instow to Somerset CCC’s headquarters at Taunton followed by legs from Taunton to Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl on October 11, the Ageas Bowl to Sussex’s County Ground at Hove on October 12 ending with the final leg from Hove to the Kia Oval on October 13.

The PCA Benevolent Fund is part of the Association’s commitment to helping current and former players and their dependants in times of hardship and upheaval to readjust to the world beyond the game.

The Fund also supports players and their dependants who might be in need of a helping hand with medical advice, a much-needed operation or those who require specialist advice, care or assistance.

The Tom Maynard Trust was set up in the summer of 2012 and its initial objectives were to try to provide low-level financial support for young cricketers making their way in the game.

This has now been expanded to include grants for aspiring young sports people looking for support with different aspects of their career development, education and awareness programmes, the Tom Maynard Academy at the Desert Springs complex in Southern Spain where up to 14 emerging county cricketers will benefit from specialist technical and conditioning work and a scholarship at his old school, Millfield School.

To support and donate to Big Bike Ride 2 go to: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/bbr2pcabftmt/193332

For more information go to: http://www.thepca.co.uk/big-bike-ride-2.html