To mark the modern Commonwealth’s 60th Anniversary, The Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma, and Friends of the Commonwealth hosted a charity dinner celebrating cricket in the Commonwealth.

Heralding the majestic game and its importance to the Commonwealth in forming a unique bond between member states, the fixture was held in the famed Long Room at Lord’s Cricket Ground and was honoured by the presence of the Rt. Hon Sir John Major KG, CH

Sir John Major – a cricket enthusiast himself – was the guest speaker on the night. He spoke on the relevance of the Com-monwealth in promoting social and economic de-velopment, and the pivotal role that cricket, and indeed sport in general, has to play.

Sir John was joined by Test Match cricketers from around the Commonwealth, chaired in discussion by BBC cricket corres-pondent Jonathan Agnew.

Among the issues discussed were whether the long form of the game was threatened by the emer-gence of 20/20 cricket; how this one game has been acclimatised and played differently by different nations; and the role that cricket has historically played and will continue to play in these nations.

The occasion was attended by two hundred cricket lovers from around the Commonwealth, who ga-thered in both Commonwealth and cricket spirit, and by their generosity and goodwill, Friends of the Commonwealth raised £8000 for the Lord’s Taverners – a sports charity “giving young people a sporting chance”.

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