Eastbourne CC v Sheffield Collegiate CC at Lord's Cricket Ground

Play-cricket.com to sponsor competition for next three years

Eastbourne Cricket Club, winners of the Club Championship in 1997, will play Sheffield Collegiate Cricket Club, who will be making their debut at Lord's, in this season's final of the National Club Championship on Friday 1 September (11.00am start).

Both teams received a bye in the first round but have subsequently played and won seven games to reach the final. In the semi-finals, Eastbourne CC beat three-time winners Teddington CC on run rate in a weather-affected match, whilst Sheffield Collegiate CC beat the Lancashire team Ormskirk CC by 20 runs.

Key players for Sheffield Collegiate CC include ex-Yorkshire and Middlesex all-rounder Richard Kettleborough as well as experienced Minor County cricketers Nick Gaywood and Mark Boocock. Eastbourne CC will field seven players who beat Harrogate CC in the 1997 final, including Paul Stevens, this year's captain, and his brothers Darren and Michael. Richard Halsall, who played with Nick Gaywood for the ECB Board XI, is the only member of the side with First Class experience, having played for Cambridge University.

The National Club Championship, organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board, attracted 403 original entrants, including most of the clubs playing in the ECB Premier Leagues across the country.

New sponsor: Play-cricket.com, the new web-site for recreational cricketers that is being actively supported by the England and Wales Cricket Board, has announced that it is to sponsor the competition for the next three years.

Frank Kemp, ECB Cricket Operations Manager for the recreational game, said, "This is an exciting new sponsorship which will increase awareness of play-cricket.com within clubs throughout the country. Play-cricket.com has been set up specifically for the benefit of the recreational cricketer and it will become an important and powerful resource for all amateur clubs and players in the future."

Nick Chapman, Marketing Manager at Play-Sport New Media, said, "We are delighted to be sponsoring the National Club Championship and anticipate that by providing significant prize money the competition will become even more competitive! Play-cricket.com's sponsorship of this event will help raise the profile of recreational cricket in this country."

The teams are:

Eastbourne CC: PJ Stevens (Capt./Wkt), RG Halsall, DP Stevens, M Stevens, D Kirtley, D Meacher, D Cumming, J Lord, RS Myall, RJ Smith, PS Hacker, J Purdey.

Sheffield Collegiate CC: NR Gaywood, NR Priestly, RA Kettleborough, AE McKenna, CR Wall, ME Root, JAR Tasker, MG Boocock, MB Ivill, JP Hespe, A Wylie, G Mann.

The National Club Championship has run since 1969, when it was called the D.H. Robbins Cup (1969-1975). It has also been known as the John Haig Trophy (76-82), the William Younger Cup (83-86), the Cockspur Cup (87-90) and the Abbot Ale Cup (93-98). In 1991, 1992, 1999 and 2000 the competition was not sponsored.

For more information, contact Mark Hodgson, ECB Corporate Affairs, on 020 7432 1251, Nick Chapman, Play-Sport New Media: Tel: 020 7808 7174.

© ECB