HOWZAT! Double celebration for Dundrum Cricket Club

County Down club goes batty after winning promotion AND KP Snacks £1000 prize!!!

 

ON a big weekend for cricket, it wasn’t just Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave who were celebrating after winning the men’s and women’s finals of The Hundred tournament at Lords on Sunday.

 

Dundrum Cricket Club in County Down also had good cause for celebration… after running away with a £1,000 grant towards much-needed equipment in an exclusive Northern Ireland-only competition, organised by KP Snacks, Official Team Partner of The Hundred.

Not only did Dundrum win the KP cash prize, on Friday evening the club’s Second XI team also secured promotion to the Northern Cricket Union Junior League 4 with a thrilling one-run victory on the very last ball against Donaghcloney Mill’s Third XI.

The KP Snacks (NI) competition was part of a campaign run by the company to reach out to local communities and encourage more people to get active through cricket this summer.

To win, clubs across Northern Ireland were invited to submit a 500-word entry explaining why they deserved to win £1,000 and how they would spend the money.

Club Secretary Andrew Hammond promptly put together a submission and Dundrum Cricket Club emerged as the winner in what was a very keenly contested competition, as Ricky Watts, Business Account Manager (NI) for KP Snacks Ltd, explained.

“We were bowled over by the quality of this year’s entries,” said Ricky, “and there really wasn’t much to choose between the many deserving applications we received from clubs across Northern Ireland.

 

“It was really encouraging to read about all the excellent work that is being carried out by local clubs to promote the game and make it more inclusive for everyone in Northern Ireland. We would love to have been able to help all the clubs but unfortunately there can only be one winner, which made it an almost impossible decision to make for the judging panel.

 

“After much discussion, we decided to award this year’s £1000 prize to Dundrum Cricket Club, which featured very highly on every judge’s list and made it over the line by the narrowest of margins – just as their second XI did on Friday night when they won promotion by a single run on the final ball,” he added.

 

“We know the club will spend the money wisely to continue the great work that it is carrying out to grow the club and the game in the County Down area, particularly its youth and ladies’ teams.”

 

Dundrum Cricket Club Chairman Dave Crudgington reflected on an eventful week for the club, which also celebrates its 120^th birthday this year, having been founded in 1903.

 

“It’s been an amazing week for our club,” said Dave. “Firstly, we received the news that we had won the KP Snacks competition, which will be of huge benefit in terms of buying new equipment, attracting new members and growing our club.

 

“Then, to top it all off, our Second XI secured promotion on Friday night, in an exciting, nail-biting and nerve-wrecking encounter with Donaghcloney Mill’s Third XI. It was certainly a momentous few days for all connected with the club! 

 

“Dundrum is currently the only club providing competitive cricket in the Mourne and South Down area and, over the past eight years, we have grown from two Senior teams and a modest youth section to four Senior teams (including our first women’s team) and a youth section that now boasts more than 60 members, with teams from U11 to U17.

 

“From this growth we have seen five youth players included in the provincial talent pathways and one of our U15 girls representing Ireland,” he added.

 

“As a club we always strive for more and we plan to set up a second senior women’s team next year to attract more players and to make sure everyone at the club has a chance to play competitive cricket. 

 

“Cricket can be an expensive sport so we will be using the prize money to improve training facilities and purchase much needed equipment to help make it more affordable and attract new players of all ages and gender.

 

“We’re always on the look-out for funding and potential sponsors but this award is invaluable to us at this present time,” concluded Mr Crudgington.

Included on the Dundrum Cricket Club ‘shopping list’ is playing equipment and protective gear for youth players and new members, such as bats, balls, helmets, gloves and pads. The club also plans to invest in larger training equipment, including a catching cradle and a new youth bowling machine.

 

“These two pieces of equipment would be widely used across the club but especially when the weather stops us from training on the main playing surface,” explained Chairman Dave Crudgington.

 

“A bowling machine can be used in our enclosed net area and a catching cradle can be used off the main playing surface, meaning that players will benefit from more training even when the weather might not allow us to train fully.”

Finally, to provide more games for its younger members, Dundrum CC plans to host a series one-day cricket festivals next season, inviting other U11 teams to play in a mini tournament.

 

The Hundred, which concluded last Sunday, is an action-packed televised 100-ball cricket tournament featuring world-class players and massive names from around the world, with eight women’s and men’s teams competing over four weeks in August 2023. 

As the event’s Official Team Partner, KP Snacks brands featured on the shirts of the competing teams, including  popchips, Butterkist, POM-BEAR, Tyrrells, KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, McCoy’s and Skips.