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Dickie Bird set to attend Cheltenham Cricket Festival when Gloucestershire play Leicestershire

Author: Roger Jackson, Posted: Thursday, 4th July 2019, 10:50

Dickie Bird will be at this year’s Cheltenham Cricket Festival on day two of Gloucestershire’s game against Leicestershire

One of the best-known names in English cricket and beyond will be at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival this year.

Dickie Bird, now 86, will be at the Cheltenham College on day two of this year’s Festival – Tuesday 16th July – as part of a big Professional Cricketers’ Association day when many top names from yesteryear will also be present.

Bird umpired in more than 130 Tests and one-day internationals from the early 70s through to the mid-90s, in an age when there was a lot less international cricket than there is today.

He was regarded as the number one official by players and spectators alike during his time at the very top of the game and his quirky, outgoing personality ensured he was liked just as much as he was respected.

Bird will be joined in the PCA marquee at Cheltenham by another two former umpires – David Constant and Ken Palmer – along with some top names from England’s past such as John Snow, Bob Taylor, John Lever and David Steele.

Gloucestershire will also be well represented – their former wicketkeeper Andy Brassington is one of the driving forces behind the big day – with one of their greatest ever players, Mike Procter, due to attend.

He will be joined by fellow ex-Gloucestershire players such as David Graveney, Phil Bainbridge, Dean Hodgson, David Partridge, Andy Stovold and Mike Smith among a number of others.

The Professional Cricketers’ Association has been going for more than 50 years and raises money for the Benevolent Fund which provides money for cricketers or ex-cricketers who have fallen on hard times.

This year’s Cheltenham Cricket Festival gets under way on Monday 15th July with a four-day county championship game against Leicestershire.

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Dickie Bird set to attend Cheltenham Cricket Festival when Gloucestershire play Leicestershire

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