Sierra Leone-based Kent Cricket Club has once again received a generous donation of equipment from the Australian Big Bash side Sydney Thunder.
There is no doubt that the ongoing global pandemic has created several challenges for the cricketing world. However, Sydney Thunder has continued to help grow cricket in Sierra Leone, with the latest donation being received by Kent Cricket Club on 3rd May 2021.
The Kent Cricket Club is incredibly grateful for the donation, which included bats, youth gloves, pads, helmets, bags, rubber balls, stumps and Sydney Thunder training gear. This donation is the fourth since January 2019, and the impact that these donations have had on the ability of the local players has been immeasurable. It has helped the club in achieving its goal of helping the game grow in Freetown.
Reflecting on the contribution, Jake Balnave, the community impact specialist of the Sydney Thunder, stated that sharing the passion of cricket is at the core of the franchise. Balnave explained that as a franchise, the Thunder are always looking to support communities in need and are happy to continue supporting the process of finding a new home for cricket equipment in an overseas country.
Balnave further elaborated that he is happy to see the amazing work of Kent Cricket Club in improving opportunities for men, women, boys and girls in gaining access to cricket.
Upon receiving the donation, Kent Cricket Club CEO Emmanuel Pessima thanked Sydney Thunder for their continued support and stressed their importance in Kent Cricket Club’s current mission. Through the generosity of Sydney Thunder, Kent Cricket Club has helped sport spread across Sierra Leone, with the club further spreading any donated resources to ensure that it has the most significant impact on society.
Kent Cricket Club would also like to thank Mikhail Kallon for his endless support and efforts in arranging and collecting the items from Sydney Thunder and the shipment of the items; Jonathan Leigh, who used to be a part of the Sydney Thunder for his hard work, and Madiba Project Incorporated for their generosity in helping the club ship donations from Australia to Sierra Leone for free.
The Cricket Cauldron 