Notts legends return for Pavilion

The best cricketers in the world from both past and present will assemble at Trent Bridge next year for a world class weekend event aimed to raise funds for a £2million revamp of the historic pavilion.

Legendary Nottinghamshire Knights Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Richard Hadlee have agreed to back the two-day extravaganza by going head-to-head in a one-off challenge match on the first day.

Each "Knight" will take charge of a team made up of a collection of some of the biggest current names in the game for the fundraising clash.

Only world class Test players will be invited to play in the game on Saturday June 30 and these will be hand picked using the PriceWaterhouseCoopers World Rankings tables as a guide.

However, the Nottinghamshire Knight Invitation Challenge will be just the start of the appeal weekend.

On Sunday July 1, the famous players of today will move aside and make way for some cricketing heroes of the past to renew old rivalries as the England Masters take on their Australian counterparts. The teams will be assembled by World Cricket Masters.

Gloucestershire and England wicketkeeper Jack Russell has already produced pencil sketches of Hadlee and Sobers to be used as logos for the weekend and has also been commissioned to paint an impression of how the pavilion would look after restoration.

His work will be turned into 300 limited edition prints including copies of the sketches and these will be included as part of sponsorship packages for the games.

The improvement scheme aims to totally restore the Victorian pavilion to its original appearance while extending the eastern side to make it more symmetrical in appearance.

As a result the building will have larger dressing rooms capable of comfortably accommodating international touring parties and much improved facilities for umpires and physios.

A lift will be installed to provide disabled access and an additional facility room built to take extra guests at international games.

The old white wooden commentary boxes will be removed along with the white rendering to return the facade to its original red brick before a copper canopy is returned over the Long Room windows.

The Pavilion Appeal aims to raise £500,000 towards the cost of the scheme and is being headed by Barbara Quinn, former administrator of the NatWest Trophy.

For further details call Barbara on 0115 982 3000 Ext 207.