Brits support Hollywood match

England captain Gubby Allen and Hollywood legend Sir Charles Aubrey Smith © The Cricketer

Nothing could be more appropriate as part of the Brit Week Festival than a cricket match. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA-LA), in partnership with the Southern California Cricket Association (SCCA) is staging a cricket match on Sunday, September 16, at Woodley Park in Van Nuys.

Two teams comprised of British actors, directors, producers and others from the entertainment industry, as well as local US cricketers, will stage the game.

Cricket was brought to Los Angeles by the movie industry in the early 1930s, when the character actor Sir Charles Aubrey Smith founded the Hollywood Cricket Club with David Niven, Erroll Flynn, Boris Karloff, Nigel Bruce and Reginald Severn. The legacy continues to this day, and the connection between the entertainment world and the Southern California Cricket Association remains strong. The SCCA league now comprises nearly 50 teams, and is attracting more American youth than ever.

Among those scheduled to play are Paul Blackthorne (Lagaan), Julian Sands (A Room With A View, Warlock, 24) Jim Piddock (Drew Carey Show) Julian Stone (General Hospital) and KTLA TV presenter Ross King. The USA includes Paul Severn, who represents a third generation of US cricketers from the Severn family, cricket coaches from LA's Best's newly established cricket program, and members of the world renowned Homies and Popz cricket team.

The game will be sponsored by Bentley of Los Angeles with a Classic British tea and is scheduled to begin at 9am.