England players gather for unique dinner

Over 250 England cricketers past and present gathered at Lord's on Tuesday night for a dinner to commemorate the rare achievement of playing at international level.

The first gathering of its type was open to all England players, male and female, with at least one cap at Test, ODI or T20 level, including Alan Jones, whose only England appearance - against a Rest of the World XI in 1970 - was subsequently downgraded when the match lost its Test status.

The event was organised by Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, and hosted by Test Match Special's Jonathan Agnew (three Tests 1984-85). Each player who attended was presented with a cap with their name and unique cap number, and the dress code was England blazers, several of which had not been worn for decades.

That aspect was borne out by the contents of some of those blazers' pockets. According to Mike Selvey, the former Guardian cricket correspondent who played three Tests in 1976-77, Strauss's pocket contained Pakistan's team-sheet from the infamous 2010 Lord's Test, while Clive Radley's contained a packet of chewing gum that presumably hadn't been opened since his last England appearance in 1978.

Ben Stokes, fresh from becoming the highest-paid overseas signing in the IPL, was one of the current England players present at the event, which took place on the eve of the one-day squad's departure for a three-match ODI series in the Caribbean next month.

"We wanted to appreciate everyone who has been lucky enough to wear the England shirt - once, or a hundred times," said Strauss.

"What has been special for me is to see present players spending some time in the company of those who have been before them. While they may only be in possession of that England shirt for a relatively short time, hopefully they will really savour that and appreciate it."

Social media was abuzz with memories and photos after the event. "Fantastic night at Lord's at the England players dinner," wrote the former England spinner, Graeme Swann, on Twitter. "So many friends and incredibly talented people to catch up with and reminisce."

Although several eligible players could not make the event due to prior commitments, one miffed absentee was Paul Franks, the former Nottinghamshire allrounder, who made four runs and went wicketless in a solitary ODI against West Indies at Trent Bridge in 2000.

"Obviously my International Cap not valuable enough to get an invite to the @ECB_cricket players dinner #tooproudtoask #lostinthepost," he tweeted.