Gents vs Players 1922

Gentlemen v Players was a long-running series of English first-class cricket matches, between teams consisting of amateur (Gentlemen) and professional cricketers (Players).

Two matches were played in 1806, but the fixture was not repeated until 1819; thereafter, it was played until 1962, typically twice each summer (though sometimes thrice or four times), except for in 1826, 1828, 1915-1918 (due to World War I) and 1940-1945 (due to World War II).

The distinction between the two teams arose from the English class structure of the 19th century: originally, the Players were working class cricketers who earned their living through the game, whilst the Gentlemen were middle- and upper-class, usually products of the public school system, who played cricket for leisure.

Whereas the Players were paid wages by their county clubs and/or fees by the match organisers, the Gentlemen nominally only claimed expenses. While rules to distinguish amateurs from professionals were established by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the system of allowable expenses was controversial and vague, with some leading amateurs being paid more for playing cricket than any professional.

The fixture struggled to gain public interest during the mid-19th century, as most matches ended with the Players defeating the Gentlemen by large margins: various efforts to improve competitiveness, including different-sized wickets for each team, odds matches, and a system of 'given men' (in which the Players would loan one or more of their best players to the Gentlemen) were generally unsuccessful, with the Players continuing to win most matches until later in the century.

The fixtures became more competitive and gained prestige with the rise and subsequent career of W. G. Grace, who played for the Gentlemen with great success. During the period from 1865 to 1914, the fixture was seen as one of the highlights of the cricket season.

The increasing popularity of international Test cricket (which began in 1877) saw interest in the Gentlemen v Players matches begin to decline, a process which was accelerated by the weakening of the social class system during the 20th century. After the Second World War, the concepts of amateurism and selecting teams based on social class were seen as increasingly anachronistic.

The fixture was discontinued on 31 January 1963 after the MCC abolished amateur status, with all first-class cricketers becoming professionals (or "Players"): with this, the official distinction between the teams (and the raison d'etre for the fixture) ceased to exist. Until 2015 when the club reformed.