Half a million not out! #BlueForBob Day is back to bat for a better prostate cancer test in honour of cricket legend, Bob Willis.

The late Bob Willis was a cricketing legend - a former England captain, Sky Sports commentator and one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He sadly died in December 2019, three years after a prostate cancer diagnosis. Following his death, his wife Lauren Clark is on a mission to use Bob’s incredible legacy and the cricket community to improve prostate cancer diagnosis.

Since its launch, our partner The Bob Willis Fund has raised an over £500,000 to support research into better detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer, and will certainly raise more vital funds at the second #BlueForBob Day during the England vs India Test Match at Edgbaston on Saturday 2nd July.

🔵 BLUE FOR BOB IS BACK! 🔵

We are so excited to be supporting the @bobwillisfund again this week to raise vital funds for prostate cancer research 👊

Please wear BLUE if you're at Edgbaston on Saturday and throughout the week 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇮🇳#BlueForBob #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/4ge3sLsWCz

— England’s Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) June 29, 2022

This Saturday, the famous Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham will turn blue as supporters of England and India pay tribute to Bob. All in the ground are encouraged to sport blue attire and Sky Sports will also film from Bob's Bowling Zone, where fans and special guests will combine to bowl 2,000 balls in a day. That figure represents the approximate number of men in the ground on the day that will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.

Two of Bob’s former 1982 teammates - Geoff Miller and Allan Lamb - have since been affected by the same illness -  a stark reminder of how common the disease is, and the urgent need to find better ways to diagnose and screen for prostate cancer to increase survival rates. Speaking of his former Captain, Allan said "I loved Bob, he was a great guy and had such a dry sense of humour. Publicly I think everyone thought he was a dour but he was great fun. It was just so sad that he left us early."

As well as many big hitters in the cricket world, including skipper Ben Stokes, the fund has the backing of former Prime Minister Sir John Major, legendary lyricist Sir Tim Rice, broadcaster Piers Morgan and a clutch of high profile cricketing names. Bob’s musical hero Bob Dylan is the Fund’s honorary patron.

Prostate Cancer UK Director of Research, Doctor Matthew Hobbs said: “We fund a whole portfolio of brilliant research and, two of those projects – both focussed on improving how we diagnose prostate cancer - were selected by the Bob Willis Fund for support. We desperately need better tests to diagnose prostate cancer. Tests that find more cancers earlier. Tests that could have found Bob’s cancer before it became incurable.”

The fund also includes a partnership with The Institute of Cancer Research, London. Ros Eeles, Professor of Oncogenetics at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), says: “My team is decoding the complexities of cancer genetics so that we can help more men survive prostate cancer. Our funding from The Bob Willis Fund will support our development of a targeted screening programme in the UK for prostate cancer.”

How can I get involved?

Tune in to watch England v India on Sky Sports Cricket. Fans attending Blue for Bob day will be encouraged to wear blue on the day to show their support for the Bob Willis Fund.

Help us find a better test that’s good enough for a screening programme by making a donation today.

Thank you to the Bob Willis Fund for helping fund lifesaving research.