CRICKETING duo Tom Blundell and Mark Whitmarsh will be getting their wheels in motion for their club.

The pair are cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back again to raise funds towards a new square for Cerne Valley Cricket Club.

They will be clocking up 1,800 miles and will average around 120 miles a day as they aim to complete the route in 15 days.

Tom and Mark leave on Saturday and are confident of raising £3,000 for the club.

For Tom, 65, it is not the first time he has taken on the challenge. He cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats in 1999 for his local church at Godmanstone and did the route both ways in 2005.

On that occasion he completed the distance in 17 days so he is hoping to cut that by two days this time round as he is joined by 27-year-old Mark, who lives in Yeovil and is captain of the Cerne Valley evening league side.

Tom, who has played for the club for 25 years and is now an umpire, said: “As a challenge to myself I am anxious to get it down to 15 days on this occasion and I’m fairly confident I should be able to do that OK, having a younger companion alongside me.”

The pair will mainly be staying with friends along the ride and plan to vary the route so they come up and back different ways. They plan to finish on Easter weekend.

Tom, who runs K Shoes in Dorchester’s Tudor Arcade, says he has been training as much as he can given that he works six days a week .

This year marks 30 years since Cerne Valley Cricket Club and is planning to relay its square at the end of the year, which will cost around £11,000.

Various fundraising initiatives have already taken place and events planned include a Junior Superstars event in May, a six-a-side tournament in August and a dinner dance and auction of promises in the autumn.

To sponsor Tom and Mark on their ride visit localgiving.com/charity/cernevalleycricketclub Donations can also be delivered to K Shoes in Dorchester’s Tudor Arcade or Epic Print in Alington Avenue, Dorchester.

n Cerne Valley Cricket Club is always on the lookout for new players young and old. The club is currently holding net practice.