MEMBERS of a Hampshire sports club are helping their cricketing friends in need in South Africa during the coronavirus crisis.

Burridge Cricket Club, of the ECB Southern Premier League, has donated £1,000 to provide much-needed food hampers to cricket clubs in Cape Town whose members are not able to provide for their families during their seven-week lockdown period.

Despite no money coming into club cricket in the UK and play being halted for the foreseeable future due to the outbreak of Covid-19, players wanted to help cricketers 8000 miles away and their families.

Food is plentiful in South Africa but many can't afford it having lost their jobs or unable to work during lockdown.

Former Cape Town Cricket Club all rounder Roger Moult, had a very successful spell for Burridge in 1990 making 908 runs and taking 31 wickets that summer, is now the interim chairman of the Veterans Cricket Association of South Africa (VCASA) who are responsible for the #feedacricketer initiative.

More than 100 hampers have already been delivered to Langa CC, Mfuleni CC via Cape Town Cricket Club and Vredenburg-Saldanha CC, Phillipi CC and Bishop Lavis CC will receive hampers this coming week.

Each food hamper helps to supplement the food requirements for a family for a month, and in some cases it’s all a family has for a month.

Roger told the Daily Echo: “The service is currently available in the Western Cape, but we will soon be offering it to clubs in Gauteng. The initiative relies on cricket clubs to support each other during these challenging times.”

Moult admits that all sports and sports clubs are finding it difficult to survive in the current environment, but adds: “With the lockdown and people not working, money for food and water is not available.”

More recently, Roger Moult was a leading light in the organisation of the Over-50s World Cup, which was staged in and around Cape Town earlier this year, until it had to be abandoned due to the pandemic.

Formed in 1968, highly-regarded Burridge Cricket Club boasts150 members and fine facilities for its mens ladies and colts cricket teams.

The #feedacricketer initiative was recently launched by the VCASA. It provides a platform for cricket clubs throughout the world to support clubs and cricketers in South Africa.

Clubs are encouraged to download the Local is Lekker App, select a hamper and club to support and place their order.