Surrey and MyGuava, the Club’s Official Merchandise Payments Partner, brought smiles to the faces of fans by offering exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences at the Kia Oval during the Vitality Blast quarter-final.
Working in conjunction with the Surrey Cricket Foundation (SCF), MyGuava invited two winners of this year’s Cricket Collective Awards – which celebrate the unsung heroes of recreational cricket in the county – as special guests for the knockout home clash against Durham.
Charlie Mullins, winner of the Rising Star award for his exceptional contributions as a young volunteer, and Orla Chavasse, who was named the Young Coach of the Year, walked onto the pitch, ahead of the quarter-final. Alongside that, the pair also received the opportunity to get player autographs as well as go on a private tour of the Kia Oval.
“I loved every minute of it,” said Orla, adding: “Thank you so much for such a brilliant afternoon! It was very generous of Surrey and MyGuava to let me be part of the event.”
Charlie’s mother shared, “It was truly an amazing experience, almost surreal if honest. Charlie loved the lot and was made feel very special.”
Behind-the-scenes experiences with @myguavaapp 🫶
MyGuava invited some special guests to the Kia Oval for a special tour & to watch training! MyGuava & @SurreyCricketFd also gave tickets away for our brilliant Blast QF victory vs Durham! 🚀
🤎 | #SurreyCricket pic.twitter.com/QmdGu9FfGI
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) October 15, 2024
For the same fixture, MyGuava also distributed 10 pairs of tickets to local children who had previously joined one of SCF’s free-to-access holiday camps in the summer.
“Myself and my daughter had an amazing time!” said Clair. “We live so close to The Oval but have never been to a cricket match before, even though I’ve always wanted to… We both had a really great time and want to thank everyone for giving us the opportunity to experience a cricket match for the first time.”
Victoria, who accompanied her son to the match, added: “We had a great time and I’m not even a huge cricket fan (although my son is!). A really good atmosphere, an engaged crowd, and an exciting match. The best end-of-summer-holidays treat!”
“My son is a huge cricket fan and never stops playing. Going to The Kia Oval was an amazing inspiration for him,” shared Leon. “Sam Curran is one of his favourite players and he was overjoyed to get his autograph.”
MyGuava also surprised Izzi and Jacob by inviting them to Surrey’s final training sessions ahead of the big contest against Durham, where they enjoyed meeting and greeting the players as well as being taken on an insightful tour of the ground. Izzi plays S9 disability cricket in Surrey – an ECB softball competitive league that features players from across a range of ages and all disabilities. 11-year-old Jacob is a part of the Super 1s programme in Surrey and “hopes to one day play for England Disability Cricket Team.”
