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Two Caerphilly County Borough cricket clubs have taken on a 25-mile walking challenge to raise money for their youth teams.

Machen Cricket Club and Blackwood Town Cricket Club were two of the 13 clubs taking part in the Walking in the Valleys initiative.

“This is the fifth year we’ve been doing these walks,” said Ray Thomas, secretary of Machen Cricket Club.

“The idea is to raise money for the various clubs to fund youth cricket.

“So far, collectively we’ve raised £71,000 since 2022.”

The walk took participants on a 25-mile journey, starting at Blackwood Town Cricket Club and ending at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, with both senior and youth club members taking part.

Around 125 people took part in the challenge altogether, which began on Friday April 10 and finished on Sunday April 12.

Those who took part were also treated to a Q&A session with English cricket coach Matthew Maynard and commentator Alan Wilkins.

Ray continued: “The walk has also brought cricket enjoyers together for a greater cause, in some cases even easing tensions caused by heated rivalries dating back years. It’s broken down what might have been rifts between clubs in the past.

“It’s helped cement good relationships and made for a better environment when playing. We can look back now and laugh and make a joke about it all,” he added.

Michael Cann, one of the organisers of the walk, explained: “It’s all done to promote youth cricket. It’s really to encourage youngsters to take up the sport, with the money raised going toward getting them kit and stuff like that.”

A portion of the proceeds will also be used to keep membership costs down, ensuring the game remains “accessible to everyone.”

So far, Machen’s efforts have raised £970, with the total of all 13 clubs now standing at £9,000 this year.

“It’s a joy to be involved because, for a lot of people, money is tight and cricket can be an expensive game to play,” Michael continued.

“That’s the whole point of ‘Walking in the Valleys’ – it takes some of that cost away.

“People shouldn’t see cost as a barrier. We want them to just come along and get involved.”

But while the sport has seen an increase in participation in recent years, particularly due to the introduction of more female and youth teams, many smaller clubs have experienced financial difficulties due to rising maintenance costs.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, Michael described Machen CC as a “community-focused club”, often hosting events for the local community – and warned this would be lost should the club no longer exist.

“Machen Cricket Club is a particularly strong community club that puts a lot back into the community through their youth coaching,” he said.

“Not to mention cricket across the UK is an extremely fast-growing sport right now. I think a lot of that is down to women’s and girls’ cricket taking off. It’s now a game that’s accessible for everyone.”

Visit JustGiving to make a donation to Machen CC‘s or Blackwood Town CC‘s online fundraisers.