MCC: The campaign, now in its second year and run with The Cricketer magazine, brought 11 grassroots cricket heroes to Lord’s last June. They enjoyed a day at the England vs. Ireland Men’s Test match, watching from the prestigious President’s Suite.
Last year’s winners included Lachlan Smith, who founded Birmingham Unicorns, one of the world’s only LGBTQ+ cricket clubs; Taj Butt, a groundsman from Bradford who promoted girls’ cricket and used cricket to support young people’s education in his community; and Sheena Recaldin, who helped save her local village cricket club in Kent after the Covid pandemic.
Another winner from last year, James Worstead from Sussex, helped start a cricket club for refugees in Northern France. He said, “It was my first trip to Lord’s, a place I never thought I’d visit. Experiencing it under those circumstances made it even more surreal and a true privilege.”
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This year, another 11 MCC Community Cricket Heroes will be chosen from the nominations by a special panel. The panel includes Arfan Akram, Mike Gatting, Dr. Sarah Fane, and last year’s winner, Lachlan Smith. It will be led by former England international and MCC Chair of Cricket, Claire Taylor.
The panel will look for people who make a positive difference in their community through grassroots cricket. This includes volunteers who work hard for their cricket club and community, coaches who inspire others on and off the field, and players who have overcome challenges to play or support the game.
The winners will be invited to Lord’s as special guests of the MCC President to watch a day’s play from the President’s Suite. They can choose between the England vs. Sri Lanka men’s Test Match on Thursday, August 29, or the England vs. Australia men’s One-Day International on Friday, September 27.
This year’s campaign is supported by several famous cricket players featured in the launch video, encouraging people to nominate a hero from their cricket community.
Nominations close at midday on Tuesday, July 16, and the selected MCC Community Cricket Heroes will be announced shortly after.
MCC President Mark Nicholas said, “Grassroots and community cricket is the lifeblood of our game, and supporting and celebrating it is a vital part of MCC’s role. As MCC President and someone passionate about cricket at this level, I’m excited to be part of this year’s campaign.”
Chair of the MCC Cricket Committee, Claire Taylor, said, “The response to last year’s campaign was amazing and showed the strength of our grassroots game. It also highlighted the importance of recognizing and rewarding people who often go unnoticed for their brilliant work, often in difficult circumstances.”
Editor of The Cricketer, Huw Turbervill, added, “It’s been a joy to be part of this campaign and its earlier version. We’ve had wonderful winners, from those bringing cricket to far-off places to those using the game to give people hope and a second chance. I’m sure we will find another fantastic XI to be proud of this year.”
The closing date for nominations is midnight on Tuesday 16 July.
