Transplant cricketers to play NHS staff at Berkeley

The transplant team will take on NHS staff in the special match on Sunday

A cricket match with a difference is taking place to highlight the importance of transplants.

The England and Wales Transplant Cricket Team is made up of players who have received life-saving organ, tissue and stem cell transplants.

On Sunday, at Berkeley in Gloucestershire, they will be taking on a team from NHS Blood and Transplant.

One of the players, Liam Ward, said it was important to highlight the difference transplants can make.

He underwent a kidney transplant a year ago at the age of 30 at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

"It was great to find the donor, although there is a sense of guilt on one hand as you get the call once somebody has died," he said.

"My kidney function was deteriorating over the years and although I managed to avoid going on dialysis, it has made a huge difference having the surgery.

"We hope the match highlights the importance of organ donation."

Batsman Liam Ward had kidney transplant surgery in 2022

Players from the transplant team will be taking on their opponents, who work at different hospital trusts.

Transplant team manager Jo Windridge, commented: "This will be the team's first fixture since the Covid pandemic."It means a great deal to us to play this fixture - it's a fantastic way for us to show the amazing team of organ donation specialists and how they work to enable transplant recipients to lead a healthy and active life post-transplant."

Tickets for the match, which are free, can be booked online. The game will start at 10:00 BST at Rockhampton Cricket Club.