Croquet players in Earby want to hammer home the point that Sport Relief is not all about young folk.

A quartet of “older” players from the Pendle and Craven club are embarking on a 24-hour marathon session to raise money for the nationwide effort.

Usually, the players can declare a winner after 26 points are reached.

But marathon organiser and club member Gary Wilson, from Kelbrook, said their doubles tie will only end when the 24 hours is up,- or one of the pairings reaches 1,000 points.

Gary will be joined by Paul Rigge, the sport’s North West Federation secretary, and they will take on club chairman Roger Schofield and Liz Wilson, the federation chairman.

He added: “Sport Relief is usually associated with young people but we wanted the ‘oldies’ to have a go. We don’t think that something like this has ever been tried before.”

The stamina-sapping game will take place on Friday at their floodlit Cemetery Road home and members have issued an open invitation to anyone who is interested in finding out more about the ancient sport.

Gary added: “We have members of the club who come to us from all over Pendle and Burnley and as far afield as Keighley and Skipton.”

The club has five “courts”, as well as a pavilion in Earby, and is currently undertaking drainage works on the field, which was badly hit by flooding two years ago.

To sponsor the quartet, visit my.sportrelief.com/ sponsor/24hourcroquet.