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Gentlemen defeat the Players at Wormsley in support of Chance To Shine
The Gentlemen & Players match last played in 1962 before the advent of professionalism was relaunched at Wormsley yesterday,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 & Players series was the oldest, longest running and one of the most prestigious first class cricket competitions in history. The Gentlemen & Players series was first played amidst great publicity in 1806 and continued all the way up to 1962 before the advent of professionalism. Messrs ER Dexter and FS Trueman famously captained the last Gentlemen & Players match at Lord’s Cricket Ground in 1962. The impetus for the Gentlemen & 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 to 1906 one name was dominant in the Gentlemen & Players matches - none other than WG Grace who revolutionised cricket and most of the techniques of modern batting.
A group of under 19 cricketers from Blackheath Cricket Club represented the 'Gentlemen' team yesterday and caused a major upset, defeating the Players team made up of the Professional Cricketers Association Masters, captained by Robert Key of Kent and England. The Gentlemen team featured players from state schools in South East London and the Tower Hamlets area. The Gentlemen last beat the Players in 1953. The game was held 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 child. We hope that days like yesterday will inspire the next generation of young cricketers.”
About the match...
The Gentlemen team captained by Kent academy player Warren Lee invited the Players to bat on a beautiful morning at Wormsley.
Lou Vincent, New Zealand’s one day international, and Ashes winning former England all rounder Philip De Freitas got the Players off to a deliberate start.The Gentlemen seam bowling outfit of Iwan Thomas, Sam Douglas Freeman and 15 year old Ahmed Akbari stemmed the flow of runs superbly well. Vincent top scored with 28 with support from Kent and England A’s leading batsman Darren Stevens as well as some lusty blows from Devon Malcolm at the end of the Players innings.
The Gentlemen team were determined and extremely athletic in their approach reducing the Players to 127 for 8 in their 20 overs. Off spinners Dipayan Paul and Adam Senn with impressive figures of 4-23 in his 3 overs were the most effective combination for the Gentlemen.
Ed Giddins, former Sussex, Warwickshire and England, opened the bowling for the Players with Philip De Freitas. Dipayan Paul and Alex Senn were removed in quick time by Giddins to leave the Gentlemen on a precarious 18 for 2. Jamal Patterson and Alex Price making a run a ball 23 steadied the ship for the Gentlemen. Ahmed Akbari intensified the chase with a brief cameo appearance.
It was left to Paterson 52 not out and Medi Abbas 27 not out including a towering six off Darren Stevens, to steer the Gentlemen team home off the last ball of an entralling match with the Gentlemen finishing on 128 for 5.
Gentlemen & Players - Sunday 15th August 2010 - 11am to 1.30pm - 20 overs match
Gentlemen
Warren Lee - Captain
Alex Senn
Jamal Patterson
Ivan Thomas
Terry Stark
Alex Price
Mehdi Abbas
Dipayn Paul
Ahmed Akbari
Joe Kerridge
Adam Senn
Sam Douglas Freeman
Players
Rob Key - Kent and England
Darren Stevens - Kent and England Lions
Dean Headley - Worcestershire, Middlesex, Kent and England
Lou Vincent - New Zealand
Min Patel - Kent and England
Alex Tudor - Surrey, Essex and England
Phil De Freitas - Leicestershire, Lancashire and England
Richie Richardson - Leeward Islands and West Indies
Chris Harris - New Zealand
Ed Giddins - Sussex, Warwickshire, Surrey and England
Devon Malcolm - Derbyshire, Leicestershire and England
Paul Pritchard - Essex
Note on Chance to Shine supported by Brit Insurance
Chance to Shine supported by Brit Insurance is one of the single biggest grass-roots sports development programme ever undertaken in Britain. The campaign, run by independent registered charity The Cricket Foundation, aims to establish regular coaching and competitive cricket opportunities in a third of state schools - 5,200 primary and 1,500 secondary schools - by 2015. To achieve this, £25million needs to be raised through private donors, which the Government has pledged to match-fund. The England and Wales Cricket Board and all the main cricketing bodies support Chance to Shine, both financially and logistically. Further details including ways to donate, can be found at www.chancetoshine.org
For details regarding Gentlemen & Players please contact Omar Khan on 07764 299902 or via omar@khanconsulting.co.uk.
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