TELEVISION presenter Chris Tarrant, actor Robert Powell and weatherman John Kettley will be among the celebrities taking part in a charity cricket match at Birlingham, near Pershore.

Chris Tarrant, a former pupil of The Kings School, Worcester, will captain the Lord's Taverners XI for the game against Birlingham on Tuesday, July 6.

The day will include a lunch, an afternoon of cricket and a gala dinner at the Farmers Arms, Kempsey, with Robert Powell and Bob "The Cat" Bevan.

Robert Powell will join Leicester's Ray Julian as an umpire and commentators will include Central Television's head of sport, Gary Newbon.

The team includes England women's vice-captain Barbara Daniels, Richard Illingworth (Worcs, Derbys and England), Tom Moody (Worcs, Warks and Australia), Neil Radford (Lancashire, Worcs, Transvaal and England) and Gladstone Small (England and Warks).

Other players are ITV's sports presenter Jim Rosenthal and rugby commentator John Taylor, after-dinner speaker Bob "The Cat" Bevan, world badminton champion Mike Tredgett and columnist Brian Viner, of The Independent.

Lesley Maclean, of the Farmers Arms, said the players were giving their services free to raise funds for the Lord's Taverners charity, which gives young people with special needs a sporting chance.

Sponsorship is also being invited from local organisations and individuals.

"Because of the voluntary basis of their appearances, we cannot absolutely guarantee the attendance of specific celebrities," she said.

"It can happen that they have to take on a work commitment, sometimes at short notice."