Walkerville, Northern Districts cricket clubs join forces to support player Tyson Bray’s cancer battle

Doing it for their mate, cricket clubs will host a special fundraiser for a young man who is facing the fight of his life.

A young and talented sports star will have a cricket match played in his honour on February 18 as he fights to survive potentially deadly brain and spine tumours.

Tyson Bray, who played 11 years at Northern Districts and currently plays with Walkerville, has been battling the tumours for 18 months.

The 23-year-old went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy last year, but recent scans showed the tumours had grown.

The news prompted Walkerville cricket club to start a fundraiser – which has since been supported by Northern Districts – in order to financially support the talented lad through an expensive program of chemo and radiotherapy.

Former Northern Districts and current Walkerville cricketer Tyson Bray has received a massive boost from both clubs in his fight against cancer. Picture: Dean Martin

“The original diagnosis was they were low grade, benign tumours so we had high hopes but finding out they have grown has been hard to comprehend,” Bray said.

“The help I’m getting from family, friends and my clubs means everything. Without them it would be very difficult to manage.

“Cricket especially has been a really important aspect of my life and just knowing I have these great people around me plays a huge part in managing my condition.”

Bray began his promising career at Northern Districts in 2007 and went on to hit a historic tonne in his debut A-Grade match.

Bray (middle) as a junior at the Northern District Jets. Picture: File

Current club coach Mark Cosgrove – who was at the other end of the pitch during his debut century – said the Jets jumped at the opportunity to support Bray.

“We’re a close, family club. We think it’s important to help our own in cricket and the fundraising has been a great initiative by Walkerville,” Cosgrove said.

“He’s a really impressive young man and we want to make sure we’re helping however we can.”

While the last 18 months of Bray’s young Walkerville career have been challenging, he has remained a positive presence around the club.

Club director of cricket Mark Webber lauded Bray for his positive attitude.

“He’s such a great guy. It hits home for us – we’re a tight group and like any sporting club you help your mates when you can,” Webber said.

Bray, a talented batter, is hoping to take to the crease for next Friday’s Twenty20. Picture: Stephen Laffer

“He’s always got his head up and we want to shoulder the financial burden so he can continue to enjoy life and focus on recovery.”

While Bray is trying to take it easy, he still has his mind set on playing the T20 next Friday.

“Cricket has been so important to me. I’m definitely hoping to play the game,” he said.

“I’m so thankful to Walkerville and Northern Districts for organising everything. I honestly wasn’t expecting any of this. Having their support has kept me positive and means I can still do things I enjoy.”

At time of writing, Walkerville and Northern Districts have raised $16,575.

To contribute, visit the fundraiser here, and see the Facebook event for details on the T20 match at Walkerville.