Ahead of tomorrow’s NatWest t20 International between England and South Africa, Edgbaston Stadium welcomed a very special guest with Tony de Grey visiting the venue that raised £100,000 for charitable partner Cure Leukaemia to fund the work that has saved his life.

The money raised so far by Edgbaston is the equivalent to the cost of employing four new research nurses for the Cure Leukaemia.

Father of three Tony – aged 52 from Quinton – was diagnosed with Acute Myloid Leukaemia and given just days to live in January after he collapsed following dental treatment to have a tooth removed. However, thanks to the work of the charity – which funds research nurses to deliver potentially lifesaving drugs and treatments to patients that they would not normally receive through the NHS – Tony was able to undergo a Stem Cell Transplant and is now recovering.

Tony, said: “After being told that I only had days to live, it’s amazing to think that I’m still alive and well today. But Cure Leukaemia is doing some amazing work and just imagine what could be possible for patients in 10 years’ time if it continues to receive such amazing donations.

“Every penny that’s raised for Cure Leukaemia goes directly into saving the lives of patients like me, so I’m eternally gratefully to Edgbaston for its support for the charity.”

Edgbaston’s £100,000 donation has come through ticketing initiatives for this year’s Investec Test Match between England and the West Indies as well as last year’s Test between England and India.

Colin Povey, Chief Executive of Edgbaston, said: “Cure Leukaemia is our lead charitable partner and we have been working together since 2005 when Ashley Giles nominated it for his Benefit Year; he subsequently became a patron.

“We’re working with the charity again tomorrow at our NatWest t20 International between England and South Africa, where cricket fans have been playing their part in supporting this great cause by making a donation when purchasing tickets.”

Since becoming an official partner of Edgbaston, several members of the Warwickshire playing and coaching team have taken part in fundraising initiatives for the charity, including Assistant Coach Dougie Brown running the London Marathon, opening batsman Varun Chopra displaying the charity’s logo on his bat, and a group of players and coaches visiting recovering patients in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital last season.

A small number of tickets remain for Edgbaston’s NatWest t20 International. Simply visit www.edgbaston.com/tickets and select the donation option on the payment screen.