Perennial rivals Somerset and St George’s will play in honour of late club stalwarts Gladstone “Sad” Brown and Lloyd James during this year’s Cup Match Legends T20 at Somerset Cricket Club.

The former players both passed away from illness this year a little more than three months apart.

Brown featured in Cup Match as an opening batsmen for Somerset, accumulating 206 runs in the annual two-day classic between 1969 and 1983.

James represented St George’s as a middle-order batsman from 1955 to 1974, amassing 988 runs at an average of 36.59 and in 1962 became the first batsman to score successive centuries in Cup Match.

“We’re very pleased to honour the memories of Gladstone ‘Sad’ Brown and Lloyd James who are legends from both clubs,” Michael Corday, the chairman of Somerset’s selectors, said.

“Both of these gentlemen did so much for cricket on and off the field. “They were both exemplary and we are very proud to honour them.”

The Cup Match Legends T20 will be held tomorrow, starting at 6.30pm, and will feature a host of former players from both clubs who left their mark on Cup Match.

Somerset’s team could feature four former captains in John Tucker, John Stovell, Dexter Basden and Albert Steede, and St George’s three in Wendell Smith, younger brother Clay Smith and Herbie Bascome.

Last year’s inaugural match proved to a huge success and Corday anticipates this year’s will be no exception.

“Last year was fantastic and was a lot of fun,” he said.

“We were actually thinking about maybe not having it this year because the game [Cup Match] is in St George’s.

“We don’t want to steal any of St George’s thunder, as it’s their year [to host Cup Match]. But then when we thought about it, they don’t have lights, so we talked about it and said this thing is so popular that maybe we should have it and continue it.”

The Cup Match Legends T20 is the brainchild of former Somerset president Alfred Maybury.

Somerset won the inaugural match by five wickets.

St George’s scored 139 for seven after electing to bat. Somerset replied with 143 for five with two balls to spare.

Kyle Lightbourne led Somerset’s bowling with two for 16 and Sheridan “Baldy” Ming their batting, gathering 55 from 43 balls, including eight fours.

Former captain John Stovell, who featured in a match- winning, 38-run partnership with former Somerset wicketkeeper Roger Trott and hit the winning boundary off Eugene Foggo, was named man of the match.

Unlike last year, only players aged 40 and over will be eligible to play going forward.

“The event seems to be getting pretty popular so our panel will meet and maybe discuss some more stipulations as well,” Corday said.

“But for now you have to be 40 or over to play.”

• The 23rd annual Mini Cup Match will take place today at Devonshire Recreation Club, kicking off the final build-up to Cup Match, which takes place next Thursday and Friday.

The two teams were selected from boys between the ages of 6 and 11 who have been involved in the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation summer day camps. The match starts at 9.30am.

MINI CUP MATCH TEAMS

Somerset: Isaiah Trott (11), Maximus Lightbourn (9), Ny-Sir Bremiage (9), Shuaib Worrell (11), Logan Chadwick (11), Noah Edwards (10), Macario Correia (10), A’Nahz Talbot, Jahsai Bean Joell (9), Skylar Crockwell (8), Kieshaun Gibbons Johnsal (11), Zephaniah Talbot (9).

St George’s: Xy-unn Simmons (8), Romari Ruddock (10), Torano Young (11), Treazi Gibbons (10), Armani Smith (6), Csayian Burns (8), Denjae Denbrook (8), Muryah Swan (10), Ryan Place-Gill (8), Sailahn Martin (11), Priya Denbrook (9), Zakai Gibbons (11), Zamir Tucker (11), Keith Richardson (11).