Two of Yorkshire's most famous names, The Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Yorkshire Tea, have combined in a bid to help save the rainforest.

STOP PRESS: 'RUNS FOR THE RAINFOREST' UPDATE! (1/9/10)

Andrew Gale and the boys are still piling on the trees for the 'Runs for the Rainforest' campaign. After last night's victory against Northants at Wantage Road they have managed to amass 13,013 runs so far this season.

And, as the Yorkshire Rainforest Project have pledged to save one tree for every run scored, that’s 13,013 trees saved so far.. Not bad at all! Hopefully we'll have enough fixtures left (especially if we make it to Lord's!) to get up to the 14,500 mark!

The 'Runs for the Rainforest' campaign is supported by Martyn Moxon and Joe Sayers. For more information please logon to: www.yorkshirerainforestproject.co.uk

Two of Yorkshire’s most famous names – The Yorkshire County Cricket Club & Yorkshire Tea – have joined forces in a bid to help save the rainforest. Thanks to a special ‘Runs for the Rainforest’ campaign, Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Tea have pledged to help protect a tree for every run made during the 2010 cricket season.

The campaign is part of the Yorkshire Rainforest Project – a long term commitment by Taylors of Harrogate to protect an area of rainforest the size of Yorkshire. “Protecting an area this size – a staggering 1.5 million hectares – is a huge undertaking which will take years and we need all the help we can get,” said Liz Earl, Yorkshire Tea Marketing Manager. “Yorkshire Tea drinkers, our staff and local community are already showing the support – but it’s great to get the backing of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.”

The family business will be working with the Rainforest Foundation UK to help protect a tree in the endangered Amazon Rainforest for every run the first XI score in the County Champion, 40 over and 20 Twenty matches.

Opening batsman Joe Sayers, who himself scored over 1,000 runs in the 2009 season, claimed: “Every player always wants to score plenty of runs – but now there’s an extra incentive! With an acre of rainforest destroyed every second of every day, we’re hoping that Yorkshire’s club cricketers will also show their support for rainforest protection.”

To find out more about the Yorkshire Rainforest Project please visit www.yorkshiretea.co.uk

Photograph: Liz Earl serves up a cup of Yorkshire Tea to Joe Sayers, opening batsman for Yorkshire CCC and Director of Cricket, Martyn Moxon - on the pitch at Headingley Carnegie to mark the first home match of the season.