Lydia Greenway returns as Voneus Village Cup ambassador

Clubs across the country have until February 1 to enter and win the chance to play at Lord's

Double-Word Cup winner Lydia Greenway will return as official ambassador for the 2024 Voneus Village Cup.

Greenway, who represented England between 2003 and 2016, has cemented her support of the tournament by renewing the role she first took up last year.

This season is the 53rd edition of this summer-long knockout competition, which has been run by The Cricketer since its inception, with Milford Hall from Staffordshire looking to defend their crown at Lord's.

More than 340 teams from England, Scotland and Wales have already entered the 2024 edition – and there's still time for clubs who want to be in with a chance of playing at the Home of Cricket to get involved ahead of the February 1 deadline.

^{Lydia Greenway rings the bell ahead of the 2023 final [Paul Carroll Photography]}

Greenway chalked up 225 international appearances and was a member of England’s double-World Cup winning team in 2009. She was also involved in four Ashes-winning squads before retiring in 2016.

"I'm delighted to renew my role with the Voneus Village Cup," Greenway said. "This historic tournament has been part of rural life for more than half a century. In my first year, I came to appreciate just what an amazing impact this competition has on bringing local communities together and was delighted to be asked to continue in this role. 

"I'm looking forward seeing what this season will bring and experiencing another cracking final at Lord's in September."

Christopher Traggio, Voneus Broadband CEO, said: "We're honoured Lydia has decided to return as our ambassador for the Voneus Village Cup 2024. Lydia began her career in village cricket playing alongside her family and knows how important these teams are to their local communities and how they foster the team spirit value we celebrate at Voneus.

"Last year's epic final at Lord's was truly a memorable day. For all of the 1,500 village cricket fans who made the journey to the Home of Cricket it was a nail-biting finish and a really special occasion for everyone. We're already looking forward to the final and wish all the teams entering this year's competition the best of the luck, and for those village teams who haven't entered yet, I'd encourage you guys to get involved. 

"2024 is set to be another huge year for sport, and with Lydia's contribution, we're confident that this year's Voneus Village Cup will surpass all expectations to be bigger and better than ever."

^{Lydia Greenway and National Village Cup Hall of Fame inductee Dave Christie [Paul Carroll Photography]}

The first matches in this year's competition are set to be played on Sunday, April 14, with clubs competing in 32 regional groups. The group winners enter a national draw that culminates in a final at Lord's in September. 

The first-round draw will be streamed from the Committee Room at Lord's on Friday, February 16 via The Cricketer's YouTube channel.

Huw Turbervill, editor of The Cricketer, said: "We are delighted to have Lydia back on board for this year's tournament, which lets cricketers from villages all over the country dream of playing at the Home of Cricket.

"That dream will become a reality for two teams – and we can't wait to cover the many entertaining twists and turns that the road to Lord's is sure to bring in the coming months."

You can enter your club by filling out the form on the Voneus Village Cup website.