Piers Morgan helps groom get helicopter to Lord's cricket final
Piers Morgan donated £1,000 to help groom Peter Melhuish reach Lord's by helicopter for Blackheath's Village Cup final on 6 September, just hours after his wedding in North Wales. The Peter Melhuish Lord's cricket fundraiser has topped £6,000 toward a one-hour flight from Wales.
Melhuish, 32, from Guildford in Surrey, captains Blackheath in the Cawston Press Village Cup final—the pinnacle of village cricket in the UK. He and fiancée Izzy Upton, also 32, planned their wedding for the Saturday after local league fixtures ended. They did not anticipate Blackheath reaching Lord's on the Sunday.
Key Takeaways
- Piers Morgan gave £1,000 after learning Peter Melhuish needed a helicopter from North Wales to Lord's less than 24 hours after his wedding.
- The fundraiser has topped £6,000 toward a roughly £9,000 one-hour flight for the 6 September Village Cup final.
- Melhuish has played for Blackheath since age six; surplus donations will go to charity Kids for Kids.
- Without air travel, the groom would face a 5am taxi to make the 11:00 BST start at Lord's.
Why does Peter Melhuish need a helicopter to Lord's?
The timing is tight. Melhuish marries Izzy Upton in North Wales on Saturday, then must play at Lord's the next morning for Blackheath in the national final of the Village Cup, a nationwide Sunday tournament for local clubs.
The one-hour helicopter flight is the only practical way to make an 11:00 BST start without leaving the wedding reception at dawn. Melhuish told the BBC a 5am taxi "wouldn't be much fun" after celebrating with family and friends.
Blackheath entered the Village Cup since its 1972 launch. For Melhuish, who joined the club aged six, reaching Lord's is the culmination of decades at the same Surrey side—a rare blend of luxury travel and once-in-a-lifetime personal milestones.
How did Piers Morgan get involved?
Morgan spotted the fundraising campaign and donated £1,000. In a message shared on the page, the broadcaster noted he also comes from Guildford and had always dreamed of playing in a Village Cup final at Lord's.
"As someone who also comes from Guildford and has also always dreamed of playing in the village cup final at Lord's, I'm very glad you will now be living my dream. Good luck Peter!" Morgan wrote.
Melhuish said he and Upton were "absolutely amazed and touched by the support." Donations also came from club members, sponsors, rival local sides, and teams Blackheath beat en route to the final, according to BBC News.
What happens to the money if the helicopter plan works?
The fundraiser originally targeted around £9,000 for the flight. With more than £6,000 raised—including Morgan's gift—the goal is within reach.
Melhuish pledged he "can't promise anyone runs or wickets on the Sunday," but promised that reaching Lord's would fulfill a young cricketer's dream. He added that regardless of the result, "I'll already have won when I marry Izzy."
Any surplus will go to UK-based charity Kids for Kids, which supports children in Darfur, Sudan. Upton has been supportive throughout, even though Village Cup fixtures were not published when wedding planning began over a year ago.