Gentleman & Players To Relaunch For Chance To Shine

Gentlemen & Players Ltd are organising a Gentlemen v Players match at Wormsley, the cricket ground lovingly created by the late Sir Paul Getty at the families estate in Buckinghamshire, on Sunday August 15th.

Established in 1806, the Gentlemen and Players series was the oldest, longest running and one of the most prestigious first class cricket competitions in history.

A group of under 19 cricketers from inner city London state schools will represent the “Gentlemen” team and a team made up of the Professional Cricketers Association Masters will represent the “Players.”

The PCA team will be selected from players like Darren Gough, Graham Hick, Dominic Cork, Dean Headley, Devon Malcolm and Phil De Freitas. Graham Hick the former Worcestershire and England batting legend will captain the Players team.

The game will be in support of The Cricket Foundation’s Chance To Shine supported by Brit Insurance initiative as part of their 2010 public fundraising appeal, “Step up to the Crease!”  

Wasim Khan, Chief Executive of The Cricket Foundation said, “We’re proud to be associated with a fixture steeped in such history. Chance to Shine has just celebrated its fifth year and reached its one millionth chid.  We hope that days like today will inspire the next generation of young cricketers.” 

The Gentlemen and Players series was first played amidst great publicity in 1806 and continued all the way up to 1962 before the advent of professionalism.

The impetus for the Gentlemen and Players series was Thomas Lord and Lord Gordon of Strathavon, Marquis of Huntley, son of the Earl of Aboyne who together who had the vision to see that the matches would be played at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

From 1865 –1906 one name was dominant in the Gentlemen and Players matches - none other than WG Grace who revolutionised cricket and most of the techniques of modern batting.

The last Gentlemen and Players event took place in 1962 before the advent of professionalism in the cricket world.