Cricket legends come out in force to honour Malcolm Marshall

On July 27th a collection of the world's finest ever cricketers will take part in a unique charity cricket match to honour the late West Indies and Hampshire fast bowler Malcolm Marshall, who tragically died of cancer late last year.

More than thirty cricketing greats - including no less than 17 former Test captains - will take part in a specially arranged One-Day match between a Malcolm Marshall XI and an International PCA Bunbury XI at the Honourable Artillery Company Ground in the City of London. All proceeds from the day will go towards the Mali Marshall Trust, a fund set up to support Malcolm's wife Connie and 7-year-old son Mali.

Captained by Sir Vivian Richards, the Malcolm Marshall XI will contain some of West Indian cricket's biggest names from the past three decades. These include double world-record holder Brian Lara, former World Cup winning Captain Clive Lloyd, wicket keeper Jeff Dujon and legendary opening batsmen Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. Courtney Walsh, the world's leading test wicket taker of all time will also be taking the field, and will be joined by three other greats of West Indian fast bowling in Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Curtly Ambrose.

The International PCA Bunbury XI will include current Australian internationals Shane Warne and Justin Langer, Pakistan's leading wicket-taker Wasim Akram and former England skippers Graham Gooch, Mike Gatting, Alec Stewart and Mark Butcher. Current England internationals Andrew Flintoff, Graeme Hick and Graham Thorpe will also be breaking away from their busy summer schedules to take part in the event.

David English, founder of the Bunbury Cricket Club, and one of the main organisers of the event said: "On the pitch Malcolm was one of the world's most fearsome fast bowlers and the bane of batsmen the world over, off the field however he was one of the game's true gentlemen - a gentle soul full of fun and mischief. He brought a magical warmth to any occasion he attended.

"The awesome line-up of players taking part in this unique event is testimony to the man's popularity. Any cricket fans attending the match on 27th July will be in for a real treat. This is going to be a truly magnificent event, a wonderful fun-filled occasion for all the family that will live in the memory for a long, long time."

Gladstone Small, Commercial Executive of the PCA said: "Malcolm Marshall was an excellent ambassador for the game of cricket, his club and country. The PCA is tremendously excited about our endorsement of this prestigious event and we look forward to a successful outcome from what will be a unique and memorable occasion. Could this be the shape of things to come?!"

The two teams line-up as follows:

The International PCA Bunbury XI: Wasim Akram, Mark Butcher, Mike Gatting, Graham Gooch, David Graveney, Andrew Flintoff, Graeme Hick, Allan Lamb, Justin Langer, David Lawrence, Mark Nicolas, Gladstone Small, Robin Smith, Alec Stewart, Graham Thorpe, Phil Tufnell, Shane Warne.

The Malcolm Marshall XI: Jimmy Adams, Curtly Ambrose, Jeffrey Dujon, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, Wes Hall, Desmond Haynes, Michael Holding, Alvin Kallicharan, Collis King, Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, Deryck Murray, Vivian Richards (Capt), Phil Simmons, Courtney Walsh.

Present on the day will be the Channel Four Test Team and comedian Rory Bremner. The Mark Butcher Band will entertainment guests late into evening.

Tickets for the match are now on sale to the general public, and organisers expect there to be a huge demand.

Andrew White, Managing Director of event promoters, WSM said: "This event is totally unique, a once in a lifetime opportunity for the country's cricket fans to see a whole host of cricketing legends in action at a stunning venue in the heart of the City of London. Given the limited capacity of the ground, there are only a few thousand tickets available, so we would encourage the public to call the ticket line as early as possible to reserve their seats."

Tickets cost £17.50 for a grandstand seat or just £10 for general ground admission. They can be purchased through Ticketmaster on tel. 0207 344 4444. Donations to the Mali Marshall Trust can be made by sending a cheque payable to The Mali Marshall Trust to the following address: The Mali Marshall Trust, WSM, Tyle Mill, Sulhamstead, Berkshire, RG7 4BS.

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For further information please contact:
Tom Maidment at WSM on tel: 01189 323 600 / 07714 659572 / tom.maidment@wsm.uk.com
David English at the Bunbury Cricket Club on tel: 020 8959 0380
Gladstone Small at the PCA on tel: 01939 200 202