Popular summer charity event returns after two-year absence

A popular annual charity cricket match is returning to Spondon this summer after a two-year absence.

The RamSlam event takes place at Spondon Cricket Club on Sunday 17th July and will see Spondon CC playing against the Derby County Allstars team in a T20 cricket match. The event raises money for Derby County's charity, the Derby County Community Trust, which aims to improve lives and communities through sport, physical activity, health and education.

The day has been a regular fixture in the Spondon summer calendar for more than a decade but has been missing for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Event organiser Neil Bennett is hoping that the returning event will be as popular as ever. Neil said: "After the past two years, the community needs events like this to help get everyone back together again. We're hoping that the day will see the usual fantastic turnout of families and friends of all ages coming down to enjoy the atmosphere and to help raise money for a fantastic cause."

"It's also a particularly special occasion this year as 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Derby County winning the Division 1 league title. We'll be marking that on the day and may also have some members of the 1971/72 squad in attendance at the event."

The charity cricket match sees the two teams competing for both pride and the Colin Bloomfield Cup, a trophy named after the former BBC Radio Derby presenter and football commentator who sadly died following a battle with melanoma in 2015. 

Spondon will field a team of players from across its various sides while the Derby County Allstars team will feature the usual mix of past Rams players and other special guests.

Other well-known local faces at the event will include musician Tom Walsh, DCFC poet Jamie Thrasivoulou and Derby auctioneer and TV antiques expert, Charles Hanson. The trophy will be presented to the winning team by Derby entrepreneur, Kavita Oberoi OBE.

In addition to the cricket action, there will be a children's entertainer on hand to keep the kids busy along with appearances from Derby County mascots, Rammie and Ewie.

The Rams Heritage Trust will also be there, displaying some fantastic Derby County memorabilia including items from Derby's historic 1971/72 season.

The cricket club bar will be open for drinks and there will be food available from vendors at the ground, including burgers, hog roast and ice cream along with doughnuts from Spondon-based Project D.

Gates open for the event at noon on Sunday 17th with the match itself starting at 2pm. Entry is £2 per adult and free for children. Parking will be available on the lower field of the cricket ground.

Get more details of the event as they are released on the event's Facebook page

You can also see photos from several past events on the Spondon Online Facebook page by clicking here.