The Victoria & Albert Museum’s Cricket Club is touring Herefordshire next year, as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. Although members were originally connected to the V&A now the selection net has been spread a bit wider.

Their founder, Nick Bird, now 70 and in his own words ‘in poor nick’ says that the team is a balanced one. He told the Ross Gazette: “There is a youth element that does the bending and throwing and elder curators who come along for the tea and the view.”

He said that the members of the team are mainly in the arts, with actors – Hugh Grant has played, Greg Wise, David Essex and they currently have Lachlan Nieboer who was in Downton Abbey, writers and artists.

Nick told the Gazette: “We have had proper cricketers too, Mike Atherton (a Vice President) turned out last year, probably because we have the prettiest ground in England, Stonor Park near Oxford.

“Our President is ex-England captain Ted Dexter and Vice Presidents include John Major, Jeremy Paxman and Boris Johnson.”

The team only play friendlies as they ‘are good at losing gracefully and wouldn’t relish the hurly-burly of league cricket.’

They love playing on beautiful grounds, and have booked a game next year with Ross-on-Wye CC. But they have not got a game organised for Saturday, May 25th.

Nick said: “I don’t want the team to have a day off looking at cathedrals, they get all that medieval stuff at home.”

If you have a team based at a pretty ground who can play on that day let Nick know by emailing: [email protected].