Thunder pay visit to deprived communities during trip to Mumbai
Members of the Thunder Cricket squad paid a visit to some disadvantaged communities in Mumbai during the side’s recent pre-season tour to India.
Visiting one of the more deprived areas in the Mumbai region, Thunder players Ellie Threlkeld, Tara Norris, Liberty Heap and Seren Smale were joined by their coaches to run some cricket sessions with unprivileged children at the Oval Maidan – one of Mumbai’s most popular recreation grounds.
The squad then travelled the short distance to the Colaba Fishing Village to meet disadvantaged children living in poor conditions by the coast, to host a cricket session with them and to gift Lancashire Cricket kit.
Speaking after the visit, Thunder captain Ellie Threlkeld said: “It was amazing to see so much cricket being played during our visit to the famous Oval Maidan, I think there was about four or five matches taking place at once which was brilliant to see the love that they had for the game.
“To then have the opportunity to visit the fishing village nearby was a great experience and I feel it really put things into perspective for myself and the rest of the players. It was a very humbling experience to see people living in those conditions.
“It was great to be able to play a bit of cricket and football with the local kids and see the smiles on their faces – they were some of the happiest children I have ever seen, and it was nice to be able to provide them with some Lancashire Cricket kit. It was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
Regional Director of Women’s Cricket for the North West David Thorley was also part of the visit, and he added: “As Ellie mentioned, it was a really humbling experience for all of us to be a part of.
“It was fantastic to be able to take some time out to make the visit and to put some smiles on the children’s faces and to try to inspire them through the game of cricket.
“To see somebody like Tara Norris take time out of her busy schedule with the Women’s IPL to join us was brilliant and I am sure it is something that the children will remember for a long time."