Cricket challenge for food firm’s fellow businesses

A FOOD firm at the heart of its community is calling on fellow businesses to step up to the crease as part of a sporting call to action.

Lewis & Cooper has encouraged fellow Northallerton traders Sam Turner & Sons and Barkers to get together cricket teams for some competitive action at the town’s cricket club.

Organised by L&C team leader Richard Bartram and driver Richard O’Neil, the friendly contest will start small with an initial game on Friday, June 8, but they have hopes that it could develop into regular Friday night games and even a small tournament later in the summer ““ perhaps even widening out to include teams from Harrogate and Yarm, where Lewis & Cooper also has stores.

_”We’d love to establish a local tournament among local independent businesses,”_ said Richard Bartram, who is also a member of the Northallerton club’s cricket sub-committee. _”Anyone can play ““ enthusiasm is more important than ability, and we appreciate that getting 11 players together might be difficult for smaller firms, so we’ll look at eight-a-side games too, with a minimum age of 14._

_”It would also be great to get lots of colleagues, family and friends down on summery Friday nights to support the players and socialise after the game,” he added. “We hope to develop a really vibrant bit of local cricket.”_

A cup will be supplied by Lewis & Cooper for the winner of the season’s games and arrangements have been made for branded team t-shirts in place of cricket whites.
Lewis & Cooper retail director Bettina Bell ““ herself a keen sportswoman ““ said she hoped the cricket games would build on the friendly rivalry reignited when the firm reinstated Northallerton’s traditional pancake day race between the town’s businesses, three years ago.

_”Sometime’s it’s good for all of us to put the difficulties of retailing in a recession behind us and just get stuck into some good, friendly rivalry on the field,” she said.
Sam Turner & Sons director Charlie Turner said: “We’re delighted to taking part and look forward to some good games.”_ The keen rugby player joked: _”We would rather it was rugby, but cricket will have to do.”_

* For more details and to get involved, contact Richard Bartram at the Northallerton store on 01609 772880.