Ponting's Irish cousin
The Royal Mail's commemorative Ashes stamps, released earlier this month , were launched by Ricky Ponting's cousin, Ben Adair, from Northern Ireland.
The Surfer
25-Feb-2013
The Royal Mail's commemorative Ashes stamps, released earlier this month, were launched by Ricky Ponting's cousin, Ben Adair, from Northern Ireland.
Ben is the grandson of widow Betty Moore (73), who lives in the Loopland Fold at Castlereagh, Belfast, and Oz skipper Ponting (30) is the son of Betty's niece Lorraine and her husband Graham Ponting, in Tasmania.
"His grandmother is my sister Jean, who emigrated to Oz under her maiden name of McConnell when she was 15, just as World War II was being declared," says Betty. "She married a Tom Campbell and she is now 79 and, like me, enjoyed the cricket during the summer.
"In fact, her son Greg Campbell - Ricky's uncle - was once an Australian Ashes cricketer too."