Oval to stage Help for Heroes T20

Global stars will descend on the Oval on September 17 as cricket lends its support to Help for Heroes for the first time, the charity supporting injured servicemen and women.

A special T20 will be staged between an England XI captained by Andrew Strauss and coached by Sir Ian Botham and a Rest of the World XI under the stewardship of Gary Kirsten.

The headline match will be preceded by a Top Flight XI against a Hereos Recovery XI made up of players wounded serving in the British Armed Forces.

"We're honoured to be teaming up with Help for Heroes to host this match," Richard Gould, Surrey chief executive and a former officer in the Royal Tank Regiment, said. "It will be a great end of season party as well as raising a considerable amount of money for an excellent cause."

Bryn Parry, co-founder of Help for Heroes added: "Help for Heroes is all about 'doing your bit' to support the men and women of our Armed Forces who have suffered life-changing injuries and illnesses. This match will see cricket legends from around the world take part in a highly competitive game of Twenty20 to raise much needed funds for our wounded. So many of our Veterans don't know what the future holds: it's vital we continue to show support for our heroes."