The Duncan Macdonald Foundation’s Twenty20 games will take place this Saturday, October 24.

The games will still go ahead rain, hail, or shine.

The day will kick off with a celebrity Twenty20 game at 2pm, then the Duncan Macdonald Foundation will be launched at 5pm with a presentation to inaugural recipients.

Then, at 5.30pm, the Parkes First XI will meet an Invitation team including Australian star Lisa Sthalekar and other cricketing greats.

The Duncan Macdonald Foundation for Young Parkes Cricketers was established in May 2009 in recognition of the late Duncan ‘Poddy’ Macdonald. Poddy had a distinguished cricket career in Country NSW and worked tirelessly as a cricket coach and administrator in the Parkes community for more than 50 years.

The Parkes cricket fraternity and the wider community have contributed to the establishment of the Foundation, with close to $20,000 raised through simply ‘passing the hat around’ in the finest country sporting tradition.

The Foundation aims to establish a legacy that supplements the ongoing efforts of the Parkes and District Cricket Association and the Parkes Junior Cricket Association to support and encourage young cricketers in Parkes.

The Foundation will use its funds to promote pathways for talented young country cricketers by providing them with:

- local specialised coaching sessions/clinics

- cricket equipment

- support for other development opportunities, including overseas cricket experience

Hosting events in Parkes aims to promote the sport of cricket by providing increased access to high level coaching. This should also provide flow on benefits to all local cricketers through the sharing of knowledge gained by those who participate in the coaching sessions. It is hoped that, over time, cricketers supported by the Foundation will be successful and be role models for young people in Parkes.

For more information about The Duncan Macdonald Foundation

contact Michael Greenwood on (02) 6861 2302 or michael.greenwood@

parkes.nsw.g ov.au.

The Duncan Macdonald Foundation is supported by Parkes Shire Council, Parkes Sports Council, NorthParkes Mines, Parkes District Cricket Association, Parkes Junior Cricket Association, Parkes Rotary Club, former Parkes cricketers and sportspeople, members of the Parkes community.