Village club in Africa tie-up

Totteridge Millhillians CC, a village club in North London, has developed a link with Arusha CC in Tanzania, leading the Club Cricket Conference to encourage more clubs to set up 'twinning' arrrangements with clubs in Africa.

The Conference, an association of about 1,000 clubs in the south of England, has contacted the Tanzanian Cricket Authority and their ICC-affiliated neighbours, to draw up a list of potential African clubs that would benefit from support, initially involving donation of kit from the UK such as used bats, pads, clothing and stumps.

Suggestions are that the twinning concept could be broadened into coaching, club tours to Africa and hosting African players for experience during the English summer.

Robbie Book, a CCC board member, said that the Totteridge Millhillians initiative would be monitored and feedback assessed.

"We see this as the beginning of a long-term project helping cricketers of all ages in the poorest regions of the world to become part of the cricket family," he said. "We fully expect our membership to embrace this venture and, although we are starting on the African continent, there are many countries across the globe that could benefit."