Surrey staff set for van challenge

Former Surrey and England skipper Alec Stewart will lend his support tomorrow

Surrey Cricket are to embark on a 239-mile journey by van around the county in a bid to raise money for the Surrey Cricket Foundation and Sport Relief.

First-team analyst Steven Rudkin and Surrey TV’s Mark Church will visit 45 ‘focus clubs’ in 24 hours tomorrow in their ‘Off the Long Road’ challenge.

The pair will collect a club cap - to be auctioned later - at each ground they visit, and provide video, radio and twitter updates (@surreycricket) along the way.

England and Surrey legend, and Surrey Cricket Foundation patron, Alec Stewart, will join them at Ashtead Cricket Club at 10am on the day.

Church said: “Although it will be a lot of hard work, I am hugely looking forward to this journey.

"As well as raising funds for two great charities it will us both a chance to visit some great clubs in Surrey and see what they are doing ahead of the 2010 season.

“Although it could get cold on the night shift, I am relying on the generosity of our supporters and the reliability of our faithful club van to get us around in time.”

The first person to donate to the fund was Surrey skipper Rory Hamilton-Brown who added: “I’d like to wish the boys all the best, the whole squad is behind this challenge.

"The Surrey Cricket Foundation is an excellent cause – as is Sport Relief – and I hope we are able to raise a lot of money by doing this.”