Notts geared up for Weekend of Legends

Trent Bridge is preparing itself for an exciting two days of cricket with The Weekend Of Legends Festival.

The Festival is a fundraising event in aid of the Trent Bridge Pavilion Appeal and features some of the most famous names in the game.

Saturday's Superkings of Cricket clash features two world XIs managed by Notts' two cricketing knights, Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Richard Hadlee.

Sir Garfield's side is captained by a fellow former West Indian skipper Courtney Walsh and includes such household names as Jimmy Adams, Moin Khan, Aravinda De Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya and Saeed Anwar.

Sir Richard's team is captained by South African skipper Shaun Pollock, who can call on his fast bowling partner Allan Donald, plus Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram to form a potent bowling attack.

Other stars on show include Indian wicket-keeper Nayan Mongia, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Jonty Rhodes, Abdur Razzaq and Gary Kirsten.

The second match of the weekend should prove to be a stirring contest when the England Masters meet their Australian counterparts in a mouth-watering rehearsal for the real Ashes Tests, which get under way at Edgbaston on Thursday.

This contest features many of the greatest players to have starred in Ashes battles over the last 20 years.

England's side will be skippered by Graham Gooch, who has a former Ashes-winning captain in Mike Gatting alongside him. Notts' members can once again see some of their old boys in action as the side also includes former Trent Bridge favourites Derek Randall, Tim Robinson, Bruce French and Chris Lewis. Neil Foster, Gladstone Small and Dermot Reeve will probably have to do their share of the bowling.

Australia, need one say it, look to have sent a very strong squad to Nottingham. Captained by Allan Border, the team includes batsmen of the calibre of Dean Jones, David Boon and Geoff Marsh, while there is a fiercesome-looking bowling quartet of Jeff Thomson, Geoff Lawson, Rodney Hogg and Simon O'Donnell. Ian Healy keeps wicket for the Aussies.

The action begins at 10.45 each morning and tickets are still available from the Trent Bridge Box Office or may be purchased at the turnstiles on either day.