Defoe and East help celebrate major moment for cricket initiative
The pair swapped football boots and microphones for bats and balls as part of a pitch party also involving professionals from the men's and women's teams at Hundred sides Oval Invincibles and London Spirit.
Defoe, who grew up in Canning Town, has not played the sport since his schooldays but relished taking part and seeing the opportunities on offer for children in the capital.
KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, are celebrating the installation of 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales with Jermain Defoe and Fleur East (Image: Michael Leckie) 'It's an amazing campaign and it's really good to be involved,' he said.
'This is pitch number 100, so it was only right that I picked the bat up and hit a six.
'To see families come out, the pros come out, and see that connection with the community is really nice.
'My grandad loved cricket. I remember being at my nan's house and my grandad, with his St Lucian background, was always watching cricket, supporting the West Indies.
'Years later, I was at West Ham with Shaka Hislop and through Shaka, I met Brian Lara and became friends. It's a fantastic sport and one I want to go and watch soon.'
Through their Everyone In campaign, KP Snacks are on a mission to inspire and enable more families & communities to get more active through cricket and create more opportunities for people to get involved and have a healthier lifestyle through the sport.
East, who hails from Walthamstow, took a break from starring as Tina Turner in the music icon's self-titled musical to wield the willow for the first time.
The 37-year-old, whose smash hit Sax hit number three in the UK charts in 2015, said: 'It has been so much fun to be here, get involved and see everyone active.
'I've never played cricket before in my life and didn't know too much about it, but I managed to do a decent bowl and hit a four with the bat so I'm taking the win.
'Everyone was having such a good time and I learned pretty quickly that even though I didn't have too many skills, it's easy to get involved and it was a lot of fun trying to master it.
'I was inspired by all the kids as well, they were little stars. Having opportunities like this for future generations is amazing.
'I have a daughter who is 16 months old and if I can get her into cricket as soon as she can do it, then I will!'
KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, are celebrating the installation of 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales as part of their Everyone In campaign. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit: www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder .
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
4 minutes ago
- Metro
Celeb SAS star needs surgery after ripping vulva in one of show's worst injuries
This series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins features one of the most excruciating – and arguably worst ever – injuries in the show's history, with X Factor star Lucy Spraggan revealing she tore her vulva. Singer Lucy opened up about the agonising injury ahead of the programme's continuation this weekend, explaining that she was left bleeding with a rip so severe that she is undergoing reconstructive surgery. The 34-year-old's wound was caused by a harness during a stunt and due to the level of bleeding and intensity of the show, she recalled her 'dignity had gone' when the doctor came over to inspect her. 'I ripped my labia – it was bad,' she told The Sun. 'That's not a common injury. Actually, genuinely, that's never been the same, so much so I'm having some surgery soon to correct it.' Revealing she didn't 'really know even what happened' to cause the tear, Lucy's best guess is simply that the harness 'was tight'. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'I was like: 'This feels really bad. Surely there can't be anything.' And I looked and there was a tear, there was lots of blood and the doctor came over and I turned around because at that point you literally don't care about anything. Dignity has gone,' she added. She also explained that the medic initially thought it was her leg that was bleeding before she corrected them. Horrific as that is, it's also not the only injury the star suffered during filming for the series as she also almost knocked a tooth out, fainted and landed face-first in the sea after attempting to jump from a helicopter into a boat. This left her with a black eye for her wedding day in June 2024 and forced her to have filler from under her eye dissolved after she 'hit the sea so hard my filler migrated to the side of my face'. Previous gruesome injuries from across the show's series include Geordie Shore star Marnie Simpson's breast implant becoming infected, Strictly Come Dancing star Pete Wicks knocked himself unconscious and breaking ribs and former soap star Jennifer Ellison puncturing her spleen. Meanwhile Jake Quickenden was rushed into emergency surgery after tendons in his shoulder were 'ripped off the bone' and politician Matt Hancock infamously suffered from trench foot. The 2025 edition of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins kicked off in dramatic style this month, with two participants quitting during the opening episode. The famous faces were pushed straight into action as they were forced to plunge 26ft into the water and dash towards a speedboat to pick them up. This proved S Club star Hannah Spearritt's undoing as, looking visibly ill ahead of the second task, she handed in her armband to the directing staff with the words: 'I'm done, I'm sorry, I've reached a point.' Following hot on her heels was TV dancer Louie Spence, for whom the second task – to rescue three hostages from a building before blowing it up with a grenade – pushed him a step too far and he quit. More Trending In the second episode, Love Island contestants Tasha Ghouri and Chloe Burrows, also voluntarily withdrew. Remaining participants being guided through gruelling challenges by the elite team of ex-Special Forces soldiers, Chief Instructor Billy Billingham and his team of Directing Staff (DS) – Foxy (Jason Fox), Rudy Reyes and Chris Oliver – include Traitors winner Harry Clark, Rebecca Loos, Drag Race UK star Bimini Bon-Boulash, former Love Islander Adam Collard and former footballer Troy Deeney. This year's series was shot in Wales, the home of the first phase of SAS selection in real life. Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins continues on Sunday at 9pm on Channel 4. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. View More » MORE: Netflix hit watched 250,000,000 times returns — and 6 more shows to binge in August MORE: Lucy Spraggan spills moment Simon Cowell admitted he'd 'never been more angry'
The Independent
4 minutes ago
- The Independent
The big questions that hang over Liverpool's forced ‘rebuild'
The big spender argued he isn't that big a net spender. The manager who added a £100m playmaker, a £69m striker and a pair of new full-backs still isn't sure if his squad is stronger than his Premier League -winning version. Arne Slot succeeded after a summer of inactivity in the market. Now, as Liverpool are setting records in the transfer window, the Dutchman is trying to place his expenditure into context and waiting to see how the class of 2025-26 compare to their immediate predecessors. Is this an upgrade? 'That is something I can only tell you on the first of September, because the window is still three weeks open,' said Slot. And if that contained the possibility of another attacking addition, such as Alexander Isak, Slot insisted that, in both his forward line and the centre of defence, he has ample options if no one else joins. Amid the hyperbole and frenzy of the cultural obsession with transfers, outgoings can be camouflaged by incomings, and Slot noted: 'We've also lost starters that have had a big impact on our title-winning season last year.' That, he feels, is not being talked about enough. Their replacements seem high-calibre players. Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are the major recruits, while Giorgi Mamardashvili's move from Valencia was agreed last summer. Yet Slot counsels caution. A reason why he has yet to deliver his definitive verdict on whether this squad is better is because of the circumstances. Can Wirtz adapt from the Bundesliga to the greater intensity of the Premier League, he wonders? Can Kerkez, plucked from Bournemouth, cope with the greater workload? 'I cannot tell you now if these players are able to perform at the same level every three days,' said Slot. 'And I did know that Luis Diaz was able to do that. So, in terms of talent and the quality we've brought in, we see that we have a very good team again. But we have to wait and see; will they stay fit?' Diaz brought in some £65m when he joined Bayern Munich. Include Mamardashvili and various add-ons, and Liverpool's summer spending could already stand at around £300m. Yet when Darwin Nunez's move to Al Hilal goes through, they will have recouped around £190m. They made a profit from trading last summer. 'The net spend of us compared to the other teams is in our favour, if you look at the last two seasons,' said Slot; indeed, Liverpool's net spend is not the biggest this summer. And Slot is thinking about what he has lost as well as what he has gained, and not merely on the pitch. A sensitive man is quick to stress that Diogo Jota 's tragic death affects his wife, children and parents the most. 'I, we, his family, lost him,' he said. Among other things, Jota was a terrific forward and a Slot favourite. Liverpool will continue to mourn him and pay tribute. He leaves a void. 'Then Darwin might be on the verge of leaving,' added Slot. 'Luis Diaz was a definite starter, and Trent [Alexander-Arnold] was a definite starter. So normally in the Premier League, teams only buy, and never sell. We do both. Caoimhin Kelleher and Jarell Quansah played quite a lot of minutes, so that makes four regular starters and two players that played a lot [have left]. 'It's quite normal, if Trent is going to go, that we bring in a full-back. If Luis Diaz is going to go, that we bring in maybe Florian Wirtz, who can play as a [No] 10 and as a left winger. It's quite normal if one attacking option is not there with Diogo, that we bring in Hugo Ekitike. And don't forget that last season we only sold, we didn't buy.' Slot's experience may equip him for a rebuilding job. It was an annual task for him in the past. 'In Holland it's completely normal, because there are levels above Feyenoord or AZ Alkmaar where I worked before,' he explained. 'At a club like Liverpool, there's no level above, so it's not that common that players leave.' Indeed, the previous time a first-team regular left for a sizeable fee was when Fabinho joined Al-Ittihad for £40m in 2023. Then there were signs the Brazilian, like Jordan Henderson, was in decline. Not so with Diaz and Alexander-Arnold. 'We lost players in a good phase of their career,' said Slot. 'I'm used to that, and it sometimes gives new energy as well, because it was one of our strengths that we kept the team the same, because they were very used to each other.' Now there is a different dynamic. Liverpool are spending again, but, casting his eye across the division, Slot said so is everyone else. Many nonetheless expect them to retain their title. 'If we are only favourites because we've spent a bit, I would see that as weird, because we've lost a lot as well,' said Slot. But they have been bolstered by Wirtz and Ekitike, Frimpong and Kerkez. 'It's completely normal that we are one of the favourites, because we won it last season,' accepted Slot. 'And we brought in good players, like all the other ones did, by the way.'
Daily Mirror
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
New Alexander Isak statement issued by Newcastle boss Eddie Howe: 'I can't involve him'
Newcastle star Alexander Isak remains at the heart of major transfer speculation amid links with Liverpool and Eddie Howe has spoken out once again after the striker was left out once again Eddie Howe has revealed Alexander Isak remains banished from his Newcastle teammates - and does not expect him to return any time soon. The Swedish striker is at the heart of huge speculation, with Liverpool keen to sign him. The Reds have already had one bid in excess of £100m turned down for Isak, while the striker himself has submitted a transfer request. He did not join his teammates on the club's pre-season tour to Asia. While he is now back in the North East, the striker is still not training with the Newcastle first team. Speaking after Friday evening's pre-season friendly against Spanish side against Espanyol - a game that Isak missed - Howe revealed that he still does not feel comfortable restoring Isak back to his thinking. He said: "We've had discussions and it's clear at the moment we can't have him involved with the group. I don't know how long that will be for. It's clear I can't involve him with the team at the moment. "He is training later than the rest of the squad. There have been discussions since the tour. I don't think disciplinary action has happened. "He is here, so of course he has a future at Newcastle. From our perspective, we would love to have him back with the team, but the situation has to be right for that to happen." Newcastle now have just a week left to prepare for their first Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa. Asked if Isak could appear in that game, Howe was not particularly optimistic. He replied: "I want Alex to be playing today. I want him training tomorrow. We would love the player to be with us, let me make that absolutely clear. "There is no part of me that does not want that outcome. But I don't see the current situation changing before Aston Villa." Isak enjoyed a sensational season for Newcastle last term as he scored 27 goals in all competitions. The former Real Sociedad star still has three years left to run on his contract with Newcastle. The Magpies have so far faced difficulty in finding Isak's potential successor. They were previously linked with Hugo Ekitike, only to see him move to Liverpool. Benjamin Sesko then became a prime target but he is now on the verge of a move to Manchester United.
