Stars on Sunday:The John Player League

There was a time when Sunday afternoon cricket meant the John Player League. Before the coloured kits, pyrotechnics and musical interludes of the worldwide franchise circuit, county sides met each weekend over 40 overs per side in a competition which quickly won the hearts of supporters new and old. There was some initial resistance from the players and cricket purists, but the Sunday League immediately attracted huge crowds, reversing a declining trend in county cricket and delighting the sponsors.