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Cricket relay to Lord's in memory of firefighter

Jonathan Rudd Jonathan and George Rudd wearing dark suits, light shirts and ties, smiling towards the camera, standing in front of a field of hay grass with a long hedgerow behind themJonathan Rudd
George Rudd (left) pictured with his brother Jonathan, was a keen cricketer who "loved being part of a team"

Friends of a keen sportsman who died of cancer are taking part in a two-day relay challenge with his cricket bat to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The team are marking what would have been George Rudd's 50th year by covering 226km (140 miles) from his childhood cricket club, near Wroxham, Norfolk, to the Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

Mr Rudd grew up in Wreningham and was a firefighter based in Egham, Surrey, who "loved being part of a team". He died of the rare blood cancer myeloma in 2021.

His brother Jonathan, who described him as "my hero", said with "so many people mucking in to make it happen... it's a touching way of remembering him".

Jonathan Rudd George Rudd in cricket whites and a blue helmet, swinging his cricket bat up as if he has just hit a ball, with a hedge behind himJonathan Rudd
The brothers had "many happy memories on the cricket field"
Jonathan Rudd Jonathan Rudd in his navy blue firefighter jacket and hat with his father Nigel to his left in a light blue shirt and his mother to his right in a beige checked suit jacketJonathan Rudd
George with his parents Nigel and Sue at his fire service graduation

The team set off on Friday from Barton Turf cricket ground and hoped to reach Lord's on the third day of the England and Sri Lanka test match.

Jonathan said: "George was a strong believer that any batsman that scored 10,000 international runs was world-class, in doing this challenge we are going to make George world-class."

Between 50 and 60 people are taking part, from his 80-year-old father to Jonathan's three-year-old son.

"It's all abilities, all people, very inclusive and all about the team - my brother loved being part of a team," he said.

The initial plan was to burn the bat to create their own "Ashes" for an annual tournament to keep his memory alive. However as all the relay participants were set to sign it, Jonathan said he might frame it instead.

Jonathan Rudd George Rudd in a blue firefighter's cap, t-shirt and trousers, preparing a salad in a kitchenJonathan Rudd
The relay would go through many cricket clubs along the route "who are being incredible", Jonathan said

Teenage Cancer Trust was chosen as the beneficiary because George had previously fundraised for the charity after he survived testicular cancer in his 20s.

"He travelled to New York in 2011 to take part in the Tunnel to Towers run in honour of the late firefighter Stephen Siller," Jonathan said.

"Siller died trying to save people in the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and George ran in full firefighting kit to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust.

"George always felt that he had experienced life, but he could never accept that children had to go through the same battles he faced."

Seven young people aged 13 to 24 are told they have cancer every day and the charity said it wanted to make sure no young person faced cancer alone.

The team has already smashed their £10,000 target to raise more than £17,000 so far.

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