BLIND DAVE SEES CRICKET DREAM COME TRUE -

The Stirrer's Brummie Blog for Monday

28-08-2006

Black Country running legend “Blind Dave” Heeley saw two years of hard work pay off with a charity cricket match yesterday that raised thousands of pounds for the Guide Dog charity......

If you've never met or even heard of him, believe me - the man is a phenomenon.

Dave - a furniture maker by trade - has the most awesomely positive attitude that you've ever experienced.

Since losing his sight in the 1990s, he's run four full marathons along with his uncomplaining mate Mac who gets tied to him and has to guide him around the obstacles.

The aim is to generate cash for Guide Dogs For The Blind - which this year celebrates it's 75th anniversary - and for yesterday's game at Himley Cricket Club near Dudley he enticed the Harlem Globetrotters of charity cricket - David English's Bunbury XI.

This meant that the losers and boozers of Dave's own Carla's All-Stars (named after a much missed dog) were able to pit their wits against some of the best known stars of sports and showbiz.

Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg can now claim the distinction of having bowled (very badly) against former England test stalwarts Wayne Larkins and Neal Radford.

He also - remarkably - claimed two wickets off his seriously dodgy bowling.

Both victims were admittedly taken just inside the boundary - but that's never been used as a criticism of Shane Warne!

One was an astonishing running, flying catch by ex Telford United man Sean Parrish, the other came when Radio WM hero Malcolm Boyden allowed the ball to slip through his hands but then somehow prevented it hitting the floor by closing his legs.

The Stirrer even got to share the box (as in genital protector, not executive) of team captain Graham Taylor (“you'll want to wash it first,” said the former England boss, and he was right) - and swap banter with team mates like boxer Richie Woodhall, TV weathergirl Shefali, women's cricketer Penny Thane, ex Blues full-back Ian Clarkson and Chasetown FC boss Charlie Blakemore who took one wonderful catch which almost killed him but actually didn't count because he touched the fence andconceded a “six”.

It's a tough old sport.

Strangest sight, though, surely had to be Hugh Cornwell, the snarling frontman of punk agitators The Stranglers turning out for the Bunbury's looking every inch the country gent in his cricket whites, tucking into tea and scones in the marquee.

Go on mate, never mind “Peaches” and “Golden Brown” write a song about cricket!

Okay, so there was loadsa back-slapping and bonhomie all round - but as a veteran of numerous charity do's I have to say this was one of the best I've ever taken part in.

Fun for the crowd and for those who took part - and at the same time raising dosh for blind folk who need guide dogs. Nice one.

(For more details of Dave Heeley's fund-raising check out www.justgiving.com/blinddave