A CRICKET club will attempt to break a world record as part of a fundraising bid to build a new score box at its ground.

Rainhill Cricket Club is hosting the event in October hoping to raise money for a replacement at its Victoria Terrace home after its score box had been targeted by vandals.

Players, members and friends are invited to beat the fastest time to dress in cricket whites (batsman gear) which was held by James Bush of Turville Park Cricket Club until earlier this year, when Blue Peter's Lindsey Russell managed to put on batting gear of a cricket shirt, two pads, an arm guard, a helmet and two gloves in an astonishing 38.352 seconds. This knocked 13 seconds off the previous best time.

The Guiness World Record attempt will take place at the club on Saturday, October 2.

This is to allow an extra weekend for potential Covid-related postponements. Times are yet to be determined and will depend on the number of people taking part. It is hoped that we will be able to do this outside but, if weather prevents it, it will take place within the clubhouse.

While it is not necessarily expected that the record will be broken, the club says the venture is about so much more than beating a time.

Andrew Page, who has been involved with the club since 2013, said: “I don’t know if we’ll manage to beat that impressive time, but we’ll give it our best shot!

“It’s the club’s 150th anniversary this year and we wanted to do something different to mark it. It was important that it was something that everyone associated with the club – whether they play for the under 9s, the women’s team or the men’s 1st team –be involved in.

"It would be great for the local community to take part in it too. We wanted something that would be fun and help raise the money the club needs to buy a new scorebox.”

The club’s scorebox was severely damaged by vandals on two occasions in late 2019 and, while some improvements were made, and in the longer term it needed to be replaced.

After the vandalism, the club said it was "overwhelmed" by the community response at the time as people and businesses made donations to replace some of the damaged items and windows.

It is hoped that the new scorebox will serve Rainhill Cricket Club for many years to come. Anyone, of any age or gender, who wants to participate in the record attempt should contact the club.

Further information can be found on the club’s website rainhillcc.com or from Andrew Page on rainhillcricket@gmail.com.