Matt’s 100 up in the saddle for Chestnut Tree House

The England and Sussex wicketkeeper-batsman successfully completed a 100-mile cycle challenge in aid of Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice, at Poling.

Just days after returning from the test series in Sri Lanka, Matt set off from Winchester to cycle the South Downs Way with England wicket-keeping coach Bruce French.

It took them two days to complete the gruelling journey, finishing at the hospice’s shop in Eastbourne, to a warm welcome from Mollie Grover, 16, who is cared for by Chestnut Tree House, and her father, Robert.

Also greeting them were a group of fans who had been following Matt’s progress on Twitter, mayor of Eastbourne, Carolyn Heaps, staff and volunteers from the shop and representatives of the hospice.

Along the way Matt and Bruce faced 4,000m of ascent and descent, and some tricky conditions.

Said Matt, “This year I was honoured to become a patron of Chestnut Tree House and, as keen mountain bike riders, we thought this would be a great opportunity to raise vital funds for the charity.

“It was a tough challenge, especially as the rain made riding on the chalk hills very slippery, but we were determined to complete the ride and the thought of the children and families who need the hospice’s care kept us going.

“It was a great feeling to finish and we would like to thank all our fans, friends and families for their support and the huge number of generous donations.”

Among those sponsoring Matt was his England and Sussex team mate, Monty Panesar, with a donation of £100, plus £25 from Gift Aid tax relief. He said: “Well done, Matty. . . great stuff.”

Matt has smashed his fund-raising target of £10,000 but it’s not too late to donate on Matt and Bruce’s JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/Matt-Prior3