Journalists get on their bike

How do you get from the Brit Oval to Lord's without crossing the Thames? Six intrepid cyclists are about to prove it can be done and all in a good cause.

They are cycling from Kennington to St John's Wood the long way round, taking in all 18 first-class county headquarters - a trip of more than 1,000 miles over 16 days.

The tour has been devised by two cricket writers who spend most of their time pedalling opinions on the game: David Lloyd of the London Evening Standard and Colin Bateman of the Daily Express.

They will be joined by former Sun cricket scribe Ian Todd, and making up the peloton are Alan Dracey, a keen cricket fan and civil servant from Lewes, and two of Colin's sons, Tom and Jack.

Because of their cricket connections they are raising funds for two charities with close links to the game: Heads Up, a cancer-research programme supported by England managing director Hugh Morris, who fought throat cancer, and the Laurie Engel Fund set up in memory of the son of cricket journalist Matthew Engel.

Anyone who fancies joining them for a leg of the trip is welcome - former England and Glamorgan batsman Steve James is threatening to do the Cardiff leg - and they would be delighted to receive any sponsorship coming their way.

The itinerary is: September 13 to Surrey and Kent; 14th to Sussex; 15th to Hampshire; 17th to Somerset and Gloucestershire; 18th to Glamorgan; 19th to Worcestershire; 20th to Warwickshire; 21st to Lancashire; 23rd to Durham; 24th to Yorkshire; 25th to Derbyshire; 26th to Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire; and 28th to Essex and Middlesex.

Full details of the trip can be obtained from colinjbateman@hotmail.com.

Those wishing to support the team can donate on: www.justgiving.com/davidtofflloyd and www.justgiving.com/colinbateman.