Former Nottinghamshire cricketer, Matt Wood will take part in the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday, to raise funds for the Trent Bridge Community Trust. 

The 36-year-old, who is now the Cricket Development Manager at the Club, has already completed more than 400 miles of training in preparation.

He'll occupy the first ever place awarded for the charitable arm of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and you can support his fundraising effort here.

During his playing career, Wood turned out in 101 first-class matches for Somerset and Nottinghamshire, scoring over 5,000 runs.

Having finished playing three years ago, the former batsman is relishing his next sporting challenge for a cause close to his heart.

“When the opportunity came up to run the London Marathon, I was keen to do it without any hesitation,” said Wood.

“The Trent Bridge Community Trust is a great charity. I have seen first-hand the impact it has on young people in Nottinghamshire.

“There’s obviously a lot of training required, which I have been stepping up since Christmas, although I admit that 26 miles is looking a way off at the moment.”

The Trust provides support to disadvantaged young people in Nottinghamshire.

Its flagship programme, Positive Futures, supported 1,275 young people in the community of Rushcliffe in 2016, assisting them with educational support, sporting activities and social inclusion.

The cost saving to local services was thought to be £1.9m as a result of the project, which was recently confirmed for continuation until 2020.