Above: VVS Laxman batting in the tsunami fund-raising match at Lord's in June
Above: Injury prevented Sachin Tendulkar from playing in the tsunami match, but he still came to Lord's to support the cause
Tsunami match at Lord's: £600,000 raised for crucial disaster recovery projects
Date released: 13 July 2005
The tsunami fund-raising fixture at Lord's, on Tuesday 14th June, raised approximately £600,000 for disaster recovery projects.
This money will go to five good causes, with the largest share being used to support the work of Leonard Cheshire in supporting disabled people in tsunami-hit areas - especially in Sri Lanka.
As previously announced by MCC, the other beneficiaries will be: the British Red Cross (on behalf of the Disasters Emergency Committee); Foundation of Goodness (a body strongly backed by Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne); Sarvodaya (whose work is aimed primarily at women, children and orphans); and Cricket-Aid Sri Lanka.
The final amount raised by the match will increase further if all pledges are honoured and Gift Aid forms - which were distributed at Lord's and printed in the match programme - continue to be completed by the day's spectators.
The Director of Fundraising at Leonard Cheshire, the disability charity, Assaf Admoni, said: "I'm delighted that last month's match, at Lord's, raised such a terrific total. It will enable us to complete the transition from short- and medium-term relief projects to long-term tsunami recovery work - such as providing disabled children with improved access to education and creating fresh income-generating opportunities for disabled adults."
MCC's Secretary & Chief Executive, Roger Knight, said: "MCC is proud to have played its part in raising such a significant sum for crucial tsunami recovery projects. They will make a real difference to the lives of so many tsunami survivors. Once again, I would like to thank all the players, spectators and sponsors who contributed to the day's success."
The players included: Stephen Fleming (New Zealand), who captained MCC's side; Brian Lara (West Indies), who led the International XI; Anil Kumble (India), the man of the match; Shane Warne (Australia); and the Sri Lankan players Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas and Kumar Sangakkara.