More than 700 guests will have the chance to watch international cricketers playing when Shropshire County Cricket Club stage our hugely popular annual hospitality event today.
Sponsored for the first time this year by Pure Telecom, the award-winning independent telecoms provider, guests from the Shropshire business community will enjoy hospitality in a luxury marquee on the boundary edge at Wrekin College.
They will also have the opportunity to watch top quality cricket between Shropshire and an Invitation XI of talented overseas players.
Toby Shaw, the chairman of Shropshire CCC, said he had again been bowled over by the level of interest.
He added: “This will be the eleventh year we have held this event and it just seems to go from strength to strength.
“It was sold out by the end of April and it really does continue to be a phenomenal success with 714 people coming this year.
“We are excited about our new new sponsors, Pure Telecom, and they have embraced the event in every way.
“We are also introducing one or two novel ideas this time as we always strive to do something a little different.
“We are also very grateful to the companies that have offered a lovely selection of auction prizes – that’s always a popular part of the day – and thank you to Wrekin College for again kindly acting as hosts. This will be Tim Firth, the new headmaster’s, first opportunity to see the event, and I know he is looking forward to it.”
The Invitation XI competing in the Pure Telecom Challenge will include prolific former India Test star Wasim Jaffer, Pakistan international Nasir Jamshed and India A batsman Uday Kaul.
The team will also feature players with Indian Premier League experience alongside exciting young batsmen Connor Dudley, who plays his club cricket for Shifnal, and Shrewsbury’s overseas player Tim Ward, who both play at a high standard in Australia,
The event will also benefit a number of local charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support, who will bring along the coracle used to promote their annual World Coracle Championships.
Spectators are also invited to enjoy today’s cricket free of charge, with the starting at 11am, as the two sides play two T20 matches with the total scores combined to determine the winner.
Pictured: Shropshire captain Steve Leach and former India Test batsman Wasim Jaffer at last year’s Shropshire County Cricket Club hospitality day at Wrekin College.