Kingsholm Cricket Club have hit a special milestone this year and they’re going to celebrate it in style.

The club based at Sandhurst, just a very big six hit from the centre of Gloucester, are 100 not out and one of England’s finest ever spin bowlers will help them mark the big occasion.

Graeme Swann, who took more than 250 Test wickets, will be the special guest at the club’s centenary dinner which will take place at the end of July.

The black-tie event is just one part of a week-long series of celebrations which will start on Monday 24th July and run until the following Sunday.

“We’re really looking forward to it,“ said Matt Cayless, who will captain the 1st XI this season.

“We have some big plans to celebrate in style and really raise the profile of the club.”

They certainly do because they will be playing a number of invitational teams during their cricket week ahead of the centenary dinner, which will take place in a marquee at the club’s ground on the Friday, with the club hoping that 150 people will attend.

“On the Tuesday we’re playing Gloucestershire Gipsies,” explained Cayless.

“The following day we’re playing the Over-40s Club who are quite a prestigious invitational side.

“On the Thursday the 1st XI are playing a Kingsholm Legends XI. They’re likely to be captained by Neil Rayer who is now our vice-chairman and still plays for our 2nd XI.”

John Veits, the club’s all-time leading runscorer, is also set to play in that game.

Twigworth Travellers, a London-based invitational team, will provide the opposition on the Friday before Kingsholm host Poulton in a County League Division One game on the Saturday.

“The Sunday will see a youth game, maybe under-15s or under-13s, and on the first Monday we may play a six-a-side game, although that has yet to be decided,” said Cayless.

It’s certainly going to be a very busy week for the club – they run five adult teams and three junior sides – and they are determined to showcase all that is good about the club.

And they also see it as an opportunity to start their next century very much on the front foot.

“We are looking to make improvements at the club,” continued Cayless.

“Our absolute priority is to offer cricket and recreation to all of our members through the best facilities possible. 

“We have several areas of the club that need improving.

“These include repair of our hard standing nets, repair of our pitch covers, a new scoreboard to be bricked in, a new roller and general maintenance around the ground.”

That all costs money, of course, but Cayless, along with many others, is working hard to make sure the dreams become reality.

“I am exploring avenues with local authorities and companies to seek support in offering the best opportunities to our members both new and old,” said Cayless.

It should be a very exciting year for Kingsholm Cricket Club.