A village is planning to mark 250 years of cricket with a prestigious match against the most famous club in the world.
The very first match was played in St Osyth under the patronage of the Earl of Rochford in 1754.
It took place on a field at the back of the Red Lion Inn and was one of the first to take place in Essex.
Now the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), owner's of Lords Cricket Ground, will be heading for Cowley Park to mark the occasion next July.
Nick Shuttleworth, press officer for St Osyth Cricket Club, said it promised to be a special day for the village.
"We discovered almost by accident through the archives that on July 22, 1754, the first recorded cricket match was played in the village at the sign of the Red Lion Inn," he said.
"That makes St Osyth one of the first places anywhere in the county to stage an organised cricket match and we feel that is something which should be properly commemorated."
Mr Shuttleworth said the MCC had now confirmed it would send a side and the match will be staged exactly 250 years to the day of the first one.
Anyone wanting more information, wanting to sponsor the match or who can help with material for the brochure should contact Mr Shuttleworth on 01255 820495
Published Wednesday November 26, 2003
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