Professional and amateur status in first-class cricket was a long-standing distinction between participants who were paid – professionals – and those were not paid – amateurs. The divide was a large part of the cricketing landscape between the 1600s and 1962, when amateur status was abolished in England – the country where the system was most developed. Amateur cricketers tended to be drawn from the upper and middle classes and were generally only reimbursed for expenses, while professionals, largely drawn from people of working-class backgrounds were paid a salary by their clubs.
An annual Gentlemen v Players match was played between amateur and professional cricketers for over 150 years, with the final match occurring shortly before the abolition of amateur status.