Lord March’s Racing XI to play Sussex Cricket Foundation in Alan Lee Memorial Match at the Qatar Goodwood Festival

• The Alan Lee Memorial cricket match to take place on Tuesday 28 July after racing at Qatar Goodwood Festival, presented by Visit Qatar.
• Lord March's Racing XI will play Sussex Cricket Foundation’s Select XI in Twenty20 charity game.
• Funds raised will go to Sussex Cricket Foundation to support its programmes, making cricket more accessible to the local community and change lives through cricket.

Goodwood is delighted to announce that this year’s charity cricket match, which takes place during Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar, will once again be between Lord March's Racing XI and Sussex Cricket Foundation.

The Alan Lee Memorial Trophy will be played at Goodwood Cricket Club on Tuesday 28 July from 6pm, in aid of Sussex Cricket Foundation. The Foundation works to help increase awareness and grow the game from grassroots level, making it accessible to all and supporting diversity while raising funds for its local programmes.

Lord March's Racing XI will comprise of a number of horseracing personalities including ITV’s Oli Bell and will be captained by Johnno Spence. Meanwhile, Sussex Select XI will feature members of the Sussex Women's Team, Sussex Disability Cricket Team, ex-professionals and local club cricketers.  The match is played every year in front of Goodwood House in memory of racing and cricket journalist Alan Lee, who passed away in 2015.

Gary Wallis-Tayler, Community Cricket Director at Sussex Cricket, said: “I am delighted that Goodwood has once again chosen to support the Sussex Cricket Foundation.  As we enter the second year of our partnership, it provides another fantastic opportunity to showcase the Foundation’s work, strengthen our links with the local community and highlight players from across our Sussex teams.” 

Cricket is the oldest of the sports played at Goodwood and has been supported by all the Dukes of Richmond.  The earliest known written laws of cricket were drawn up for a game between the 2nd Duke of Richmond and Mr Broderick of Peper Harow in 1727. It has been associated with Goodwood since at least 1702 and the match on the 28 July is the 299th anniversary of the first of the two matches these rules were written for.

James Crespi, Goodwood Racecourse Director, said: “Renowned as England’s greatest sporting estate, a love of sport is at the heart of all that we do here at Goodwood. We want people to be fully immersed in and enjoy all the sports we have on offer, whether that’s horseracing, motorsport, golf, shooting, flying, or cricket. We are proud to be raising money for Sussex Cricket Foundation as they play Lord March’s Racing XI after a superb afternoon of horseracing at Qatar Goodwood Festival presented by Visit Qatar.”

Before the charity match gets underway, Sussex Cricket Foundation will host a girls’ soft ball festival between 3pm and 5.30pm. at Goodwood Cricket Club. For more information and entry details about the 6-a-side Dynamos soft ball, contact: lara.johnson@sussexcricket.co.uk

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