Festival boasts an array of cricket legends and stars

Derbyshire v Northamptonshire during a previous fixture at Queens Park with
Derbyshire batting. — Derbyshire v Northamptonshire during a previous fixture at Queens Park with Derbyshire batting.

The Hill Dickinson Chesterfield Festival of Cricket - with Chesterfield Borough Council - includes four mouth-watering clashes.

Derbyshire play Yorkshire in a Twenty20 match on July 14 and on July 15 Australian Test legend Glenn McGrath leads a star-studded cancer charity Twenty20 McGrath Foundation XI against a Derbyshire XI featuring West Indian Legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, England’s Women’s star Sarah Taylor and Derbyshire stars such as Kim Barnett, Devon Malcom and Kevin Dean.

The charity match supports the McGrath Foundation, the Cricket Derbyshire Community Foundation and Breast Cancer Care. McGrath will join former Australian team-mates Damien Martyn, Ian Harvey and Jason Gillespie and England legend Darren Gough in the McGrath XI.

From July 17, Derbyshire takes on Yorkshire in a four-day LV County Championship match and the festival will be rounded off on July 21 when Derbyshire Falcons play Durham Dynamos in a one-day Twenty20 match.

The five-day festival made a triumphant return in 2006, attracting bumper crowds and the event remains one of the highlights of the summer.

It provides an opportunity for residents and visitors to see first-class cricket in the idyllic setting of Queen’s Park, which has long been recognised as one of the most beautiful cricket grounds.

Fixtures and times: Derbyshire Falcons v Yorkshire Vikings - 2.30pm, July 14; McGrath Foundation XI v Cricket Derbyshire XI - Chesterfield Turns Pink Charity Twenty20 - 6pm, July 15; Derbyshire v Yorkshire - 11am, July 17; Derbyshire Falcons v Durham Dynamos - 2.30pm, July 21.

For tickets call 01332 388 101. Advance Day: Adults £12 (£16 on the day), Juniors £4 (£5 on the day). Admittance free for DCCC members. All 6 days for a £55 Six Pack Ticket. McGrath Foundation tickets are £20, £5 for juniors and children under 5 are free. Parking is £4 in advance, £5 on the day. Advance tickets available from Chesterfield Visitor Information Centre.