Keen junior cricketers had the chance to meet England cricket superstar and Ashes and World Cup winner, Mark Wood, as he dropped in to Monmouth to help promote the pavilion crowdfunder.

He teams up with comedian, writer and cricket super-fan, Miles Jupp, to record the podcast ‘Middle Umpire Please’ and kindly offered to help promote the fundraising plans to upgrade the pavilion on the Sportsground by making a guest appearance on Chippenham.

The pavilion crowdfunder is a joint effort, with the rugby, football, bowls and tennis clubs all coming together to upgrade the present clubhouse which has been recognised as not being fit for today’s purpose.

Careful not to get in the way of football’s Junior Awards Night, Miles and members of the cricket club showed 96mph fast-bowler Mark the clubhouse briefly before heading over to the 3rd XI pitch, where Miles has been known to play a little cricket himself, and met an excited throng of young cricketers and their parents who in return, got to meet a professional player at the very highest level of the great game.

“Mark Wood turned out to be the nicest chap you could ever hope to meet” said Chair of the cricket club and 3rd XI team captain Joe Atkinson.

Generous with his time and his autograph, he chatted to 40 young players, their Mums and Dads, and posed for the essential selfies.

Mark’s cricket journey began as a junior himself, playing for his local club before being talent spotted by Durham Academy in his late teens. He still visits his old club, Ashington CC, to watch training and chat about his own game with his first ever coach and after his guest appearance on Chippenham Friday afternoon, April 27, the Monmouth cricketers presented Mark with a Monmouth Cricket Club shirt to add to his exotic collection.

Later that evening at the rugby club, Mark and Miles recorded a special podcast in front of a live audience for the first time, wearing the Monmouth shirt.

The seventy-strong audience was a mixture of cricket club members and their families, new joiners and old stalwarts, “who all had the best night out in Monmouth for at least two years, and quite possibly ever” said Joe.

“Miles and Mark make a fantastic double act,” he added, “natural, funny, an excellent knowledge of cricket, and thoroughly entertaining.”

Look out for the Monmouth episode of ‘Middle Please Umpire’, coming soon.

Their generous efforts to support grassroots sport certainly lifted the crowdfunder campaign.

With the counting done, at least £1,500 has been added to the total which has smashed its £20k target and is aiming now for £25k. Monmouth Cricket Club can only say: “HOWZAT?!”