Here they are, the inaugural class of the Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame.
A class spanning over a century, with record breakers and pioneers, elite level performers and cricketers that represented Gray-Nicolls with distinction on the international.
We'd like to thanks these cricketers and their families for their cooperation in making the launch of the Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame such as success.
Brian Lara: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
One of the all-time greats. A cricketer that transcended the sport. Was there a 90's kid that didn't play Brian Lara Cricket on their console?
His impact on the sport was immeasurable and his legacy is unquestionable.
For Gray-Nicolls he represents a golden period.
Welcome to the Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame, Brian Lara.
Brian Lara: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame
The man responsible for one of Gray-Nicolls most iconic years in 1994. First a Test world record score of 375, followed by a first class record of 501*.
All with his Scoop 2000 in hand.
It was the perfect partnership, and for that reason Brian Lara completes our 2026 Hall of Fame class.
With thanks to Sam Lockyer and Iconic Productions UK for their film ‘501 Not Out’.
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Brian Lara: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
Our final inductee of this inaugural class is a man who is responsible for one of Gray-Nicolls greatest years in 1994.
Armed with his Scoop 2000 bat, Lara hit two world record scores in the space of one golden summer. First 375 in the Test match between West Indies and England, followed months later by 501* for Warwickshire against Durham.
Lara went from superstar to icon, and the bat he was holding supercharged the Gray-Nicolls brand. It's a great pleasure to welcome Brian Lara to the Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame.
Robin Smith: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026
He’s a player the evokes such fond memories. The square cut. The Elite. He was The Judge.
Today we welcome the late, great Robin Smith to the Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame. A player that would have been at home in today’s game as he was his own era.
We were sent this 2022 footage of Hall of Fame inductee Robin Smith, teaching the son of a very close friend the famous square cut. No kit, just a Gray-Nicolls bat and a pair of sandals. Still absolutely nailing them.
Robin is sadly missed by all that knew him, but his legacy lives on.
Robin Smith: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
The Judge. Nine Test tons. Four ODI hundreds. 61 first class centuries.
An illustrious career and a Gray-Nicolls legend.
Robin Smith: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
The late, great Robin Smith was a player with all the talent in the world, but his legacy is perhaps greater than numbers. It's how he made cricket fans feel.
You can't mention Robin without someone mentioning how they felt watching him square cut the ball ferociously for four with his Elite.
Gray-Nicolls has been carried by elegant players, patient players, record-breakers and innovators. Smith brought something more visceral. He made the bat look like a weapon.
Rachael Heyhoe Flint: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
Baroness Heyhoe Flint was a cricketing pioneer and one of the most influential figures in the sport's history.
With her trusty Gray-Nicolls in hand she led England to victory in the inaugural Women's World Cup in 1973, while her legacy lives on in the modern game.
Rachael Heyhoe Flint: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
The most influential female in cricketing history, Rachael Heyhoe Flint was as much of a force off the pitch as she was on it.
A World Cup winner who drove the tournament’s creation, there will never be another like Heyhoe Flint.
Read more about her incredible story at the link in the replies.
WG Grace: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
Grace's career spanned 870 first class matches with over 50,000 runs.
For many of those he used Nicolls bats, and his golden summer of 1894 with this bat in particular.
Our CEO Richard Gray recently re-united the historic letter sent by WG Grace to LJ Nicolls praising his 1894 bat with the bat itself, held by the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club Museum and its chair Wendy Body.
WG Grace: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
A letter and a bat that changed it all. After his golden summer in 1894, Grace wrote a letter to LJ Nicolls:
"Dear Sir, I used one of your bats at Hastings in 1894 and scored 131. I may mention that it was perfectly new. I kept it until this year and have scored 2,000 runs with it. I used it when I made my 100th century and scored 1, 000 runs in May with it. So I think I may call it my record bat. This year at Hastings I scored 104 runs with another of your bats and hope it will turn out as well as the old one."
WG Grace: Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame 2026.
The father of cricket, the sport’s first celebrity, and iconic Gray-Nicolls user.
We still have the letter Grace sent to LJ Nicolls after his record breaking summer in 1894.
Still recognised for his contributions to the sport to this day, we are delighted to welcome WG Grace to the Gray-Nicolls Hall of Fame in our inaugural class.
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