Cricketers Swap Wickets for Waves
Story Published: 25 August 2010
YORKSHIRE cricketers were bowled over by the vital work of Scarborough lifeboat volunteers after taking time out of their hectic schedule to take part in a training session at sea.
Four Yorkshire County Cricket Club players joined RNLI lifeboat volunteers during their weekly training, fresh from finishing on the pitch in day three of the Welcome to Yorkshire 124th Scarborough Cricket Festival.
Club Captain Andrew Gale, Jonathan Bairstow, Moin Ashraf and Oliver Hannon-Dalby took to the waters with volunteers who man the lifesaving boats from Scarborough Lifeboat Station on West Pier.
Andrew said: "We just wanted to show our support for the fantastic work that the RNLI do - and it has been incredible to see what they do first hand."
Moin added: "I am actually scared of open water and this is the first time I have ever been on a boat so it was a real experience and they made me feel very safe. But I wanted to support them and it was great to see the crowds outside the lifeboat station cheering us all on."
The team was also joined by Gary Verity Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire which has been sponsoring the cricket Festival.
Gary said: "These guys offer a life saving service for everyone who visits Scarborough and what is even more impressive is that they are all volunteers. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to come and spend an evening seeing the work they do."
Councillor Tom Fox has been a RNLI volunteer for the last 12 years and added: "I think it has been splendid that Yorkshire cricketers have engaged with the Scarborough lifeboat. They have entertained us on the pitch and now we have had the chance to entertain them as well."
The RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - has 40 volunteers at its Scarborough base which was opened in 1801.
ENDS
Editors' Notes:
- Welcome to Yorkshire is the official tourism body for Yorkshire, working to grow the region's visitor economy.
- Welcome to Yorkshire is funded by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy.
- Welcome to Yorkshire is the driving force of Yorkshire's tourism industry. Key facts include:
- Tourism in Yorkshire is worth £6.5 billion annually
- The region's industry employs a quarter of a million people
- There are 209 million visits to Yorkshire each year
For further information please contact:
Jo Francisco - Press Officer
Email: jfrancisco@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3563
Mobile: 07769257327
Andrew Denton - Press Officer
Email: adenton@yorkshire.com
DL: 0113 322 3537; Mobile: 07769 257383