SHANE WARNE has turned to in-form Gloucestershire captain Michael Klinger as he bids to get the Ashes series off with a big bash when hosting a glittering charity cricket match between England and Australian XIs in Cirencester Park on Sunday.

Mindful that the England side under captain Michael Vaughan was looking very potent – Andrew Strauss and Darren Gough are other confirmed starters – Warne has added Klinger to his Sunday line-up. The Aussie made a rapid 96 in Gloucestershire’s surprise YB40 win over Yorkshire only last Sunday Since Warne originally announced his side would include Shaun Tait, Ian Harvey, Damien Martyn and the ever-popular Merv Hughes, the Aussie spin legend has also added the destructive batting of former limited-over specialist Simon O’Donnell.

The Aussies are being flown in courtesy of Etihad Airways, who are also providing an F1 simulator to add to day’s entertainment.

The £45-a-head stadium seating for the event has now been sold out but you can turn up on the day and watch the game from the grass for £20, with U14s costing just a fiver.

Cirencester CC chairman Nick Price has also revealed that the club, who are themselves fund-raising to refurbish their historic pavilion, would be benefiting financially from the star-studded clash.

“Countess Bathhurst has offered a very generous donation to the club, which Elizabeth Hurley has agreed to match,” he said. The two nominated childrens’s charities for which the stars are coming out – the Shane Warne Foundation and the Hop, Skip and Jump Foundation – have already had their coffers boosted by some vigorous action at three novelty auctions.

It took a bid of £5,500 to book a place in Michael Vaughan’s England All-Stars team, while the similar slot on Warne’s side went for £4,000.

The chance to be coached by Kevin Pietersen and Michael Clarke, before facing an over from Warne in the tea interval, went for £3,500 on The Telegraph website.

The winner would do well to watch the ubiquitous TV clip of Warne’s very first ball in an Ashes series, which moved two and a half feet off the pitch before removing a bamboozled Mike Gatting’s stumps. The ‘ball of the century’ was delivered 20 years ago this week. All tables have also been sold at the 250-strong celebrity pre-match lunch hosted by the Countess and Earl Bathurst which will include a panel discussion on the Ashes, hosted by Sir Michael Parkinson and featuring Warne, Clarke, Pietersen and Strauss among others.

Warne and his partner Liz Hurley have truly gone out of their way to ensure there is something for all the family – even the participating players have been encouraged to bring their own wives and kids.

There will be food stalls, beer and champagne tents and shopping malls, as well as the opportunity to play Cage Cricket, the new urban form of the game which has been endorsed by both Warne and Sir Ian Botham.

With a high society wedding taking place in Cirencester the day before, this curious hybrid of sport, showbiz and fashion could yet have a surprise or two in store.

Ciren chairman Price added: “I even got an email this week from someone claiming that Ronan Keating was coming along to the game and would they be able to see him.”