A 13-YEAR-old boy from Wotton-under-Edge has used his time in lockdown to raise money for the NHS.

Ben Long launched Ben’s Cricket Against Corona challenge, which has seen the teenager make100 catches and 100 cricket shots every day, for 21 days, all in aid of NHS Charities Together.

The Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School pupil wanted to raise funds to thank the ‘brilliant’ medical staff for putting their lives at risk every day as the NHS continues the battle to treat coronavirus patients.

He said: “I saw adverts of people raising money through sport and my dad had planned to do a charity ‘batathon’ when he can, so I thought what can I do in the back garden with sport and using dad’s coaching stuff to help the NHS as they’re risking their lives?

“So my effort was to throw and take 100 rebound catches and smack 100 throw-downs with the bat from my dad on our back lawn for 21 days.”

Over the course of Ben’s Cricket Against Corona challenge, he hit a total of 2,253 shots and took 2,243 re-bound catches in 21 days, and he has raised £945 to date.

It took Ben an hour and a half each day, and he completed the challenge on Sunday.

Ben plays for Rockhampton Cricket Club and has represented Gloucestershire in the under 10s and under 11s, the county winter squad in the under 12s and the district this season.

“We’d like to say a massive thank you to Katharine Lady Berkeley School, Gloucestershire Cricket Board, Rockhampton Cricket Club, DFCA, all friends and family for their support and donations,” said Ben’s dad, Dave.

To donate to Ben’s fund raiser visit: justgiving.com/fundraising/cricketagainstcorona