The Players appeared in
first-class cricket between
1806
Events
January–March
* January 1
** The French Republican Calendar is abolished.
** The Kingdom of Bavaria is established by Napoleon.
* January 5 – The body of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, lies in state in the Painted Hall ...
and
1962
Events January
* January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand.
* January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism.
* January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
, nearly always in the showcase
Gentlemen v Players matches against the
Gentlemen
A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...
, though Players teams have occasionally played against touring sides too. Teams called the Players have played in a few minor matches.
The inaugural Gentlemen v Players fixture was held at
Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...
on 7, 8 and 9 July 1806, the Gentlemen winning by an innings and 14 runs.
The fixture was played in most seasons since then, often in two or more instalments, until the last one at
North Marine Road, Scarborough on 8, 10 and 11 September 1962, the Players winning by 7 wickets.
The Players were cricketers with
professional status, whereas the Gentlemen were termed amateurs who nominally claimed expenses for playing. Outstanding members of Players teams have included
Fuller Pilch,
Wilfred Rhodes,
Jack Hobbs,
Len Hutton and
Fred Trueman.
References
Bibliography
*
*
Charles Williams, ''Gentlemen & Players: The Death of Amateurism in Cricket'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2012,
Former senior cricket clubs
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