International sports stars and Dr Who actor Jodie Whittaker are backing a charity fundraising campaign spearheaded by a well-known Huddersfield cricketer.

Successful former Scholes CC captain James Noble is working hard to try and raise £50,000 to help Barnsley Hospital’s Neonatal Unit and Sheffield Children’s Hospital.

Last year both organisations looked after his son Harry, who was born in the January with irreversible brain damage. Despite their best efforts, Harry passed away in August – devastating for the whole family.

James – who is widely known by his nickname of Keith and skippered Scholes to Huddersfield League, Sykes Cup and Yorkshire Champions titles – has spent all year organising events to bring in cash and he has a busy spell coming up.

This coming Sunday, August 29, there is a family charity cricket day at Scholes’ Chapelgate headquarters above Holmfirth, when families are welcome to show their support for the fundraising campaign.

A cricket match starting at 1.30pm will feature Scholes legends from the title winning teams of 2000 and 2001 up against their opposite numbers from 2009 and 2010. The event will include family fun activities, an auction, barbecue and then live music from The Jin.

The following day, Monday August 30, the annual village cricket match between the villages of Scholes and Hepworth will be a Hundred game at 2.30pm with further fundraising for James’s cause at the Chapelgate ground (HD9 1SX).

On Thursday, September 9, the focus will be a Charity Golf Day at Crosland Heath, including an auction, for which a large number of teams have already pledged their support.

While officials at Scholes CC are keen to attract as many people as possible this coming Sunday, James has a JustGiving page up and running and also an on-line auction including some unique lots.

There is a Trent Boult shirt signed by the New Zealand team who won the World Test Championship against India earlier this summer, a ‘play-and-stay’ at the historic Pebble Beach golf course in California, USA, and a personal signed message from Huddersfield’s own Dr Who actress Jodie Whittaker, whose brother Kristian was a teammate of James in his days at Scholes.

Items also include signed sporting memorabilia, race days, golf experiences on great courses and an England cricket shirt specially signed by Test captain Joe Root.

There are many other fantastic items on offer in the on-line auction, which is well worth a look, and the link is www.jumblebee.co.uk/harrynoblecharityauction

The link to the JustGiving page is https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hgn?utm_term=mmnQA2Ypk