Lord's Taverners benefit from six appeal

Sponsors Liverpool Victoria will again donate £6 to the Lord’s Taverners for every six hit during this season’s County Championship.

Last season Nottinghamshire’s David Hussey smashed 23 of them and Ronnie Irani of Essex was close behind with 22.

In fact, in the 2005 competition the ball went sailing over the boundary ropes a staggering 1,061 times, netting £6,366 donation to the Lord’s Taverners.

And as an added bonus this season, and to boost the funds raised for cricket's favourite charity, Liverpool Victoria will donate an additional £10 per run for the season’s highest individual score across the two divisions.

If John Crawley’s effort of 311 last season is equalled, and county batsmen hit sixes at the usual rate, the total donated by Liverpool Victoria to the Lord’s Taverners this season will be close to £10,000.

This could add up to almost £40,000 over the four years of the Liverpool Victoria sponsorship, on top of the £20,000 donated by the company from 2002 to 2005 through its affinity brand Frizzell's sponsorship of the County Championship.

The Lord's Taverners has been raising money “to give young people, particularly those with special needs, a sporting chance”, since 1950.

In addition to helping youth cricket - they donate around £1 million annually - the charity gives grants towards sport and recreation for children with special needs, and has provided more than 777 of its famous green, specially-adapted minibuses since its inception.

Nigel Snell, Liverpool Victoria's head of corporate communications, said: “To see the likes of David Hussey, Ronnie Irani, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff in full swing and smashing the ball to all four corners of the ground is a wonderful sight.

“We are pleased to be able to reward the Lord's Taverners, and the causes it supports, with each six hit in the Liverpool Victoria County Championship.”

Mark Williams, chief executive of the Lord’s Taverners, added: “Liverpool Victoria has been very supportive of our work over the past four seasons through its County Championship sponsorship, and we are delighted that support will continue for the next four years.

“The added top scorer's bonus will enable us to provide two Liverpool Victoria-branded minibuses over the next four years of the sponsorship, and they will make a real difference to the communities and organisations that we support.”