Stephen Fry to umpire all-star cricket match at Hay Festival

Hay Festival 2024 will host an all-star cricket match umpired by Stephen Fry, as part of the first Hay Festival Sports Day on Wednesday 29th May. 

The cricket team taking part will feature broadcaster Adam Rutherford, writers Robert Macfarlane and Charlie Campbell, comedians Marcus Brigstocke and Carrie Quinlan, as well as musician and actor Johnny Flynn. Professional cricketers Claire Taylor and Azeem Rafiq will also take part. 

Many of the players come from the Authors Cricket Team, which has a 100-year history with the likes of P G Wodehouse, A A Milne and Arthur Conan Doyle having previously played. More recently, the team has played against Indian Premier League (IPL) players, the Vatican and the national teams of Japan and Iceland.

The Sports Day will include appearances from footballer and broadcaster Gary Lineker, tennis coach Judy Murray, ecologist Madeleine Orr, and former athlete and politician Lord Sebastian Coe, among others.

Hay Festival Global c.e.o. Julie Finch commented: “Worlds collide at Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye with events that offer a detour from the day to day. In this thrilling year of international sport, our first ever Sports Day seeks to explore its interconnections with the arts and their dual roles in promoting wellbeing. We are delighted to welcome this all-star cricket team and Hay Town onto our programme, and grateful to festival president Stephen Fry for ensuring a fair game."

Tickets to the match and other events can be found at hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye.