Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Gloucestershire. There is uncertainty about the exact date of the club's foundation, due to a merger with another club, but 1870 is generally accepted. The club played its first major match in June of that year. It was founded by the Grace family and W. G. was its first team captain. With that association, Gloucestershire has had major status since inception: i.e., classified as an unofficial first-class team by substantial sources from 1870 to 1894; classified as an official first-class team from 1895 by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the County Championship clubs; classified as a List A team since the beginning