Annual Report & Accounts

MARYLEBONE CRICKET CLUB

ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS

Retiring

CLUB GOVERNANCE

MCC COMMITTEE 2022-23

TRUSTEES

In accordance with Rule 18.5, one of the Trustees nominated by them from time to time shall be entitled to attend and speak at meetings of the MCC Committee but not to vote.

SECRETARIAT

SEC. (COMMERCIAL)

SEC. (CRICKET & OPERATIONS)

ASST. SEC. (ESTATES & GROUND DEVELOPMENT)

ASST. SEC. (FINANCE)

ASST. SEC. (LEGAL)

ASST. SEC. (MEMBERSHIP)

HONORARY LIFE VICE-PRESIDENTS

Sir Oliver Popplewell, A.R. Lewis, M.O.C. Sturt, C.A. Fry, M.G. Griffith, O.H.J. Stocken

In accordance with Rule 2 3, Honorary Life Vice-Presidents have all the general privileges and status of members of the MCC Committee other than the right to attend its meetings unless they are members of the MCC Committee.

The following MCC Committee members completed their respective terms of office on 30 September 2022:

As President, C.J. Connor (2/6); as Elected Members, N.J.C. Gandon (6/6), Dr. C.M. Gupte (5/6), W.J. House (5/6), R.Q. Cake (6/6), A.R.C. Fraser (5/6), G.W. Jones (6/6), His Hon Judge N.M. Peters, kc (6/6); and as Chair of Membership and General Purposes, Sir Ian Magee (6/6). M.W. Gatting (3/6) also completed his service on the MCC Committee on that date although he remains as Chair of World Cricket until 30 September 2023

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRESIDENT

In accordance with Rule 8 1, C.J. Connor retired as President on 30 September 2022. At the Annual General Meeting held on 4 May 2022, she nominated S.J. Fry as her successor. In accordance with Rule 8 4. S.J. Fry became a member of the MCC Committee as President on 1 October 2022

TRUSTEE

In accordance with Rule 18 2, M.V. Fleming retired as a Trustee on 30 September 2022. The MCC Committee re-appointed M.V. Fleming with effect from 1 October 2022 for a period of three years. This appointment was approved by Members on 4 May 2022

PRINCIPAL COMMITTEES

In accordance with Rule 16 2, S.C. Taylor retired as Chair of Cricket on 30 September 2022 and was re-appointed with effect from 1 October 2022 for a period of three years. A.J. Johnston retired as Chair of Estates on 30 September 2022 and was re-appointed with effect from 1 October 2022 for a period of three years. J.O.D. Orders retired as Chair of Heritage & Collections on 30 September 2022 and was re-appointed with effect from 1 October 2022 for a period of three years. Sir Ian Magee retired as Chair of Membership and General Purposes on 30 September 2022 and V.K. Griffiths was appointed in the role with effect from 1 October 2022 for a period of three years. Members approved this appointment, and the three re-appointments, on 4 May 2022

ELECTED MEMBERS

In accordance with Rule 12 2, N.J.C. Gandon, V.K. Griffiths, Dr. C.M. Gupte, W.J. House, R.Q. Cake, A.R.C. Fraser, G.W. Jones and His Hon Judge N.M. Peters, kc retired as elected members of the MCC Committee on 30 September 2022

MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

In accordance with transitional Rule 12A 4, A. Akram, C.M. McCallum and M.G.A. McLintock were appointed to the MCC Committee with effect from 1 October 2022 for a period of three years. K.C. Sangakkara was additionally appointed to the MCC Committee with effect from 1 October 2022 for a period of one year, to fill a vacancy left by M.W. Gatting, Chair of World Cricket, following the introduction of a maximum service limit under transitional Rule 12A 7 These appointments were approved by Members on 4 May 2022

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

In accordance with transitional Rule 33 4(iv), H.J.P. Chetwood retired as an elected member of the Nominations committee on 30 September 2022. In accordance with Rule 16 6, he was re-elected with effect from 1 October 2022 for a period of three years.

CUSTODIAN TRUSTEE

In accordance with Rule 19 1, the MCC Committee has appointed The Royal Bank of Scotland plc as Custodian Trustee of the Club.

PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT

Icannot believe there was ever a time in the past when the MCC President hasn’t reflected on what a turbulent year for cricket their tenure has witnessed. The day will surely not dawn in which they will ever serenely declare that “All has gone perfectly for the game and for the Club this year. Nothing to report but unalloyed success in all directions.”

Cricket is a remarkable game, a global phenomenon. It stands for so much. But above all it is a human game, devised, played, administered, watched and followed by humans. And so it is with MCC, a remarkable Club, a remarkable institution that stands for so much. Neither game nor Club can ever be immune from the turbulence and transformations of the human world. Indeed it often seems that cricket is more prone to the shocks, tremors and transformations of the world than any other cultural institution. We can often appear to be a bellwether, an advance warning of turbulence and change to come. Like the world, we might not always respond to that change with quite the springy alacrity that some would like, but I think it is impressive how in my short lifetime both game and Club have responded to the challenges of change and chance. But it can seem that each year those challenges appear to be greater and the turbulence of the world wilder.

They seemed wild enough three years ago when under the magnificent Presidency of my predecessors, Kumar Sangakkara and Clare Connor, MCC weathered the Covid storm while continuing to plan for the future health and vigour of our Club and its glorious headquarters. Since then a terrible attritional war has begun to rage in Europe on a scale not

seen for more than a generation. The highest inflation for a generation, an energy crisis, supply shortages, all manner of boils on the body politic and all manner of malign goblins stalking the world. Cricket in this country is still, to use the preferred press cliché, “reeling” from revelations of racism within the game and, to a less painful but equally challenging extent, from the ramifications of trying to keep the county red-ball game thriving in the face of increasing pressure to pack the fixture lists with new and more instantly profitable shorter formats of cricket. With big money franchise contracts, and all the lures of sovereign wealth funds and modern sport-asbusiness being dangled before the eyes of talented young cricketers, who can blame them for accepting highly lucrative contracts that may take them far from the domestic scene?

There is much to absorb the attention of the game’s administrators here and abroad.

Having said which, it has been a year for cricket and our Club that has given great cause for optimism and cheer. Who could ever imagine such a phenomenon as “Bazball”? (One day soon that endearingly silly word will be so established that my computer will stop autocorrecting it to “Baseball”). The England men’s Test team has astonished and thrilled all who have witnessed, with goggling eyes and racing pulses, their relentless and

daring new approach. Under Ben Stokes as their golden Achilles and Brendon McCullum their wily Odysseus, England’s army in white has recorded their winningest year yet. I still have to pinch myself to believe what they have achieved.

reputation, our “brand” as I suppose I should with some reluctance call it, impels us to keep thinking of ways to enrich and widen the appeal of the game, for fans and followers, and especially for new young players. It has long been my belief that if you show a child a

And England’s women have thrilled and inspired too, impressive runners-up in the 50-over World Cup, beating New Zealand, India, Pakistan and South Africa in style on their way to the final against Australia. Their tour of the West Indies was simply outstanding, every match played was won. Here at home, with record crowds attending their every performance, they gladdened the hearts of club financial officers everywhere, Lord’s and MCC not excepted.

But while England’s performances have been spectacular, MCC is not about the national team, it is about our Club, our beloved Lord’s, the Laws of Cricket and the wider health and vigour of the game domestically and globally. Our unique standing and

bat, a ball and a wicket (be that real stumps, stumps chalked on a wall or just a tree) that child will instantly see the aim and appeal of the game and want to start playing at once.

With that in mind, I was very proud to become a Patron of the MCC Foundation (MCCF) some years ago. Under the directorship of the tireless and irrepressible Dr. Sarah Fane, MCCF has continued to fulfil its mission to improve the opportunities of girls and boys everywhere, allowing them to benefit from facilities, coaching and kit through its 77 nationwide Hubs. So far, over 30,000 state school-educated kids have been provided with training and the chance to experience match play. This is fantastic for the future of our game, but it is fantastic too in a wider sense

for the future of those girls and boys. Learning and playing the game really can transform lives: physical and mental health, social and personal confidence – the benefits bestowed are outstanding and well proven. MCCF doesn’t commit itself to the domestic scene alone, of course. Their achievements in Afghanistan in years past astonished the world. However much Afghan cricket is now constricted by the second Taliban occupation, that seed has been sown and within the country, cricket lies dormant, ready to spring into life again the moment that terrible regime’s day is done. Recent visits led by Sarah and Clare Connor to Lebanon have proved the point once again that cricket can thrive and inspire the young everywhere. Oh, and I should mention the recent initiative to encourage MCC Members to include a legacy for the Foundation in our wills. It is a terrific way to pass on our love of and belief in cricket and I warmly recommend you to consider this.

For some the aims of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are achieved all too slowly; for others they are achieved all too quickly! I shan’t offend both points of view by suggesting that this means “we’ve got the

balance about right”. Personally, I like to use the single word 'Accessibility', which I think covers just about everything. For surely all Members can agree that one ambition we all share for cricket is that as many people as possible can have access to it regardless of their background, ethnicity, age, gender, income and other considerations that may historically have held them back. The work of the Foundation is pointed absolutely towards this end of course, but the Club itself, our HQ and all aspects of the game can surely only be enriched by this guiding star of Accessibility. If a Jewish gay man with a history of mental health issues can become President of the greatest cricket club in the world without causing too horrified an outcry, well…

better than to underestimate; a Men’s ODI series against New Zealand — well, we all know how down-to-the-wire and pulsating those matches can be! And of course, a Women’s Ashes tournament comprising a rubber of a full five-day Test, three ODIs and three T 20Is, followed by a full ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka, and for England’s Men, the dearest and most yearned for series of all is at stake. Who, in late July, will be holding that modestlooking urn aloft in a burst of camera flashes, glitter bombs and champagne spray?

Before the first ball is bowled in any of these terrific tournaments, we can already celebrate our good fortune in living in a time of such truly great cricket, a second Golden Age, future generations may well call it. It

Though if I’m honest, the truly memorable thing about my appointment to the Presidency is that I am surely the duffest player of the game ever to hold this post. I do claim to much higher than average skills as an umpire, however.

Let’s end by rubbing our hands in glee at the prospect of the domestic summer ahead. What a season we have in store. An England Men’s Test and later three-match ODI series against Ireland, a side England should know

would be quite wrong of me to remind you that the first Golden Age is personified by a man called Fry.

Praise and thanks for the game’s great health goes to the coaches and administrators of course, but above all to the men and women who take to the field and give us so much pride, pleasure and excitement. Here’s to them, and here’s to the weather gods too.

MCC COMMITTEE REPORT

Afull cricket schedule at Lord’s is something that we must never take for granted after the gruelling pandemic years of lockdowns, restrictions and cancellations. It was, quite simply, wonderful to be back.

If the scheduling of our two Test matches proved challenging, there was little sign of it affecting the enjoyment of everyone who decided to join us at the Ground. Both matches were well-supported by Members and visitors, as were the Men’s and Women’s ODIs against India.

The latter fixture saw Lord’s break a UK record for the number of spectators (15,187) viewing a women’s bilateral international match. The transformation in the performance of the England Men’s Test team and strong performances in white-ball cricket have been breathtaking and has been matched by the continued excellence, for the most part, of the England Womens’ teams in all formats.

The celebratory mood which had prevailed around the country throughout the summer was tempered by the very sad news, in September, of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We were very fortunate indeed to

have enjoyed her constant presence as Patron of our Club for over 70 years. That presence was often literal, as it was our great honour to welcome her to watch cricket at Lord’s on many occasions, including from time to time in the company of her late husband, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. An era has ended but their legacy will endure.

We held our first hybrid AGM in May, which increased Member participation in the proceedings. At that meeting, Members approved changes to the Reserved Seat Scheme to allocate more seats to the scheme in response to clear feedback from Members. Later in the year, we launched a refreshed Membership Nominations process, which was again discussed and put forward for discussion amongst the membership in response to Member requests for an easier application system (see the M&GP report on page 34 for more details). The change to allow

a Member to propose two candidates each year, providing at least one of them is female, has already resulted in a higher number of female applicants for membership.

One of our goals has been to increase Member engagement and we are keen to provide these opportunities across a range of channels: via informal meetings held online and in-person, drop-in sessions during major matches at Lord’s, a new email account, memberquestions@mcc.org.uk, and also by offering email communication preferences. We have also increased our use of online surveys. It is very clear that Members want to engage in a variety of ways with the Club and we are responding to this.

For much of the year, interaction with Members focused on the Committee’s decision to discontinue the annual Oxford v Cambridge and Eton v Harrow fixtures on the Main Ground at Lord’s. An SGM, scheduled for September 2022, was averted and at the time of finalising this report, the ink was still drying on a compromise agreement that will see the hosting period for the two fixtures extended by five years, to 2028. As a Committee, we accept, and are sorry, that we misjudged the sentiment and level of interest among Members on this issue. We should not have proceeded to a decision without first consulting Members. We addressed this by issuing a survey to Members early in 2023, accompanied by five Member meetings either online or in-person to hear Members’ views. The responses to the survey were fundamental to the compromise subsequently reached.

It was a busy year in the Club’s interactions with ECB, the Independent Commission on Equity in Cricket and the 18 First-Class Counties (FCCs). ECB held a governance review which has resulted in the FCCs (including MCC) once again having direct representation on ECB’s Board. The FCCs have also streamlined their own representation group, so that six FCC

Chairs work more closely with ECB on issues affecting the domestic game. The intention is that these representatives will rotate on a two-year cycle to ensure all clubs have the opportunity to play their part in the governance of the game. ECB also published the findings from the Strauss review aimed at improving the performance (and consistency of performance) of the England Men’s teams across all formats of the game.

Turning to our own governance, MCC published its Cricket and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategies and we developed new Key Performance Indicators to measure the performance of the Club. The Committee completed its transition from 22 members to 12 as of 1 October 2022 and we are already seeing the benefits of a smaller group enabling fuller discussion of issues at Committee meetings.

The financial position of the Club (more fully reported in the Finance report and Accounts on pages 53 to 68) remains strong, notwithstanding the challenges of a slowing economy, high inflation and spiralling energy costs. The Club is well-placed for an exciting year ahead, including a historic double-Ashes summer at Lord’s, when we will welcome England’s Men’s and Women’s teams to take on their oldest foe.

GROUND DEVELOPMENT

The Long-Term Plan for Ground Development, approved by Members in 2017, is based on having completed the Compton and Edrich stands for the summer of 2021 (which we have done) and then on forming a project team to develop the design for the next major project – envisaged as being a new East Gate Building (EGB).

The proposed EGB development would create facilities for 900+ covers as corporate hospitality and banqueting, as well as associated kitchens on the Club’s freehold land. This would then enable the demolition of the Nursery Pavilion, which sits on the strip of leasehold land at the eastern-most end of the Ground, leading to the restoration of the Nursery Ground to the size it had been prior to the construction of the new stands. The EGB development would also create a Food Village at ground floor level and a new shop.

Good practice dictates that an evaluation be undertaken at each stage of the Masterplan to check the direction of travel. In the period since 2017, a number of additional considerations have emerged, driven in part by the financial consequences of the pandemic, and we needed to establish a course of action to address the Club’s priorities as they stood in 2022 and beyond. Consideration has accordingly been given to what would happen were the EGB not to follow the Compton and Edrich stands after 2021 and what alternative development sequence might be carried out to best meet our strategic objectives.

In the past year, the Executive has weighed up various Ground Development options against the Club’s strategic objectives, our operational needs, the strength of business justifications and our forecast Long-Term Plan cashflows. A detailed report including recommendations was then presented to the Estates and Finance committees before being reviewed by the MCC Committee in June.

OPTION

The report assessed two primary options:

BRedevelopment

In the course of comparing these options, the need for addtional facilities emerged as a core requirement to provide the level of Member and customer service expected from a modern sporting venue:

Use of the Nursery Ground and the primacy of the Club’s cricket activities remain central to any decision. Having assessed the potential dimensions of the Nursery Ground under Option A, the Executive and Cricket committee concluded that even if the Nursery Pavilion was (or were to be) removed, this would still not enable the requisite boundary dimensions for adult cricket to be played safely. ECB’s published standard for men’s and women’s cricket requires minimum radial dimensions of 55m and 50m respectively; larger than the maximum of 47m achievable under Option A. The current dimensions of the Nursery Ground enable the Club to develop an active junior programme for boys and girls, whilst maintaining the facility as a world-class practice area with high-quality nets for major match preparation. An investment of £600,000 is proposed for works to improve the drainage and playing surface to be carried out during the winter of 2023-24

The report noted that Option B provides a more attractive commercial return, with Option A ostensibly providing a “like for like”

replacement for the Nursery Pavilion. The review also considered delivery of non-match day events, for which the market has changed significantly for the worse, not yet having recovered to pre-pandemic levels. By contrast, Option B entails the development of highquality pitch-facing facilities for Members and hospitality customers, including an expected increase in capacity of c.700 extra seats, thus strengthening the position of Lord’s as a world-class venue, with the largest capacity and best facilities in the country.

The report estimated Option A to have a project cost, post inflation, of £55 9m, with Option B coming in at £ 58m (assuming commencement on site in 2025) and Option C at £18m (starting on site in 2029). Both Options A and B were assessed as being affordable within the Club’s Long-Term Plan, subject to certainty with regard to major match allocation which is expected by the spring of 2023. Option B followed by Option C was also evaluated as being affordable within the Long-Term Plan but Options A plus B and then C would not be affordable in the timeframe envisaged by the Long-Term Plan. A “One Test” scenario, considered as part of the review process, would necessitate a fundamental re-evaluation of the Club’s Ground Development priorities.

The review established that the Club could commence construction of either Option A or B in the Autumn of 2025 and have the development ready to open for the Ashes summer of 2027

The report concluded that there is little case for undertaking Option A, the East Gate Building, even after completing Option B, and recommended that it be removed from the Club’s Long-Term Plan. Instead, Option B, the redevelopment of the Tavern and Allen stand, should be undertaken next with construction commencing in 2025, moving on to construct Option C, the Food Village basement, thereafter.

In June, the Committee approved the recommendations of the report, subject to discussing the proposals with Members attending the sessions held on two major match days in July and August. The feedback received from Members showed very strong support for the proposed course of action, but identified the need to appoint an architect for the project in order to be able to provide a greater level of detail for further consultation with Members. The Committee authorised the Executive to draw up a detailed Design Brief for a repurposed and extended Tavern Stand and a new Allen Stand and to initiate a design competition, with a view to making an appointment at the beginning of 2023

CHIEF EXECUTIVE & SECRETARY’S REPORT

For last year’s Annual Report, I provided a more corporate and business-focused update. I intend to follow that template for this year’s report, which covers the 12-month period January to December 2022

The 2022 season was a successful one in the main, with high quality matches and good attendances for fixtures – record-breaking in the case of our women's major matches. The exception to this is the T20 Blast, where declining crowd numbers are concerning. It has been identified as a key area of focus area in 2023. There was a positive upwards trend across our customer experience scores, which we source alongside qualitative feedback via post-match surveys to ticket purchasers. Retail, identified as an exception to this trend, will receive extra attention in 2023

We ask Members to complete surveys after they have attended matches too. These experience scores were also broadly positive but we received consistent negative feedback under the heading "Information announcements”. Whilst we are not entirely in control of the content that goes out for major matches, we are engaged with ECB in making adjustments for the year ahead, as well as making improvements to the Public Address system. Feedback on the food and beverage offer for Members indicates that there are improvements to be made and we have tasked our Catering Department to improve this area as they prepare for the 2023 season.

The period covered by the Strategic Plan 2012-22 is now at an end. Over the winter, the Committee began a process of reflection about MCC and our Club’s future development.

The game is changing, and quickly. It is incumbent on us as a Club to consider, inter alia, the proliferation of franchise cricket, pressures on the domestic schedule, declining overseas interest in Test match cricket, the economic challenges of cricket and the wider economy, and the necessity to support club and schools cricket to ensure we are ready for the future.

It is also worth reflecting on the inevitable balance of protecting our traditions and the things that make us special but also ensuring we are a welcoming and open club. As we are all well aware, that can be a difficult balance to get right. Commentary on these matters will be included as part of a new strategic document, currently being developed. We intend to share this document with Members and other stakeholders for comment and consultation by the end of the season.

In the shorter term, the Committee agreed its objectives for the two-year period 2022-23. In order to deliver against those targets, I report to the Committee on six key priorities. A summary of progress in each area is shown in the table opposite.

Whilst progress has been made in each area, there is still much to do to meet our objectives by the end of 2023. Delivery of high performing pitches and improvements to our level of service – across all aspects of our operations –are of critical priority in the year ahead.

THE FINEST CRICKET GROUND

We have made good progress on Ground Development options, settling on a plan to redevelop the Tavern and Allen stands. A number of strategic enhancement projects have included refurbishment of Mound Stand Suites, a new Allen Stand scoreboard and improved wayfinding. We have mapped out our carbon footprint and set out plans towards achieving Net Zero.

WORKING FOR THE GOOD OF CRICKET

The growth of the MCC Foundation and the success of our own community programmes were pleasing, as was the range of opportunities for different teams to play at Lord’s in our minor match programme. Delivering high performing pitches remains an area of focus, as does extending MCC’s position as a global independent leader in cricket.

FINANCE & COMMERCIAL

We are making good progress on securing the quantum of international cricket at Lord’s from 2025-31. We expect an outcome by May 2023 and are encouraged that the allocation discussed will underpin our business model, to a certain extent. Debenture sales are slower than anticipated but satisfactory. We plan to improve our retail offer and customer experience, and to deliver new non-cricket events, in 2023. We had a good financial year in 2022 and are currently well positioned to undertake our next phase of Ground Development.

MEMBER SERVICES

We are receiving good feedback from Members on the match day experience and are responding to matters identified through the post-match survey process. For 2023, the food and beverage offer for Members are a particular area of focus, as are our digital interactions, where we are keen to make life simpler for all involved.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Lord’s is seen as a welcoming and accessible place, as evidenced by our customer experience scores sourced via the post-match survey process. This data has informed enhancements to both facilities and ground operations for the 2023 season. With the exception of the first day of the New Zealand Men’s Test match, queue times improved in 2022, as did feedback about our food and beverage offer.

WELL LED WITH GREAT STAFF

The Club’s governance model is bedding in and we are making good progress with the goals identified within our Environmental, Social & Governance report and the supporting Equity, Diversity & Inclusion plan. Following the prolonged period of disruptions during the pandemic and its immediate aftermath, we have in place a diverse range of quality permanent staff. Recruitment of casual staff, in a difficult labour market, remains a core focus for 2023

Leaving aside operational matters, there are four strategic projects that are worthy of note. First, we are about to reach a decision point (including careful consideration of financing) on proceeding with the next phase of Ground Development. Secondly, we are working more closely with Middlesex to support their business and performance aspirations. Thirdly, we continue to create opportunities for a broad range of visitors to attend Lords, in a welcoming and friendly environment. Finally, we must think deeply about the future – of MCC, of Lord’s and of cricket itself – and how we position our Club in a time of unprecedented change within the sport.

Over the page, you will find a report on our commercial activity. Before concluding this opening section, I’d like to look ahead to what we hope will be an immensely exciting and enjoyable year. A renewed sense of optimism around the Ground means we approach 2023 afresh, with a full complement of staff and time to plan for an amazing season.

I would like to thank all Members (including those of you who serve on our committees) for your support over the past year. It is an immense privilege to be your Chief Executive & Secretary and both I and my Executive colleagues will be working exceptionally hard to make 2023 a truly special year for you all.

Following a disrupted 2021, there was a sense of commercial optimism as we approached 2022. However, the impact of the Omicron-variant Covid dealt a fresh blow to consumer confidence at the beginning of the year, directly affecting our first quarter operations for Tours and Events & Experiences, as bookings were cancelled and postponed.

It was to be a year of challenges, as issues and obstacles emerged, from travel strikes, rising inflation (and its effect on both costs and sales), hospitality staffing shortages, early match finishes, the energy crisis, global supply chain issues and so on. Despite this, our commercial operations either met or exceeded the budgets set, across the board.

We were delighted to welcome new commercial partners Hendrick’s Gin and Oris, the first official timekeeper of Lord’s. As the official Gin of MCC & Lord’s, Hendrick’s introduced excellent new serves and experiences for Members and guests both on match days and as part of the broader events calendar. Having bedded in for their first season, Oris is exploring a limited-edition Members’ timepiece and the implementation of other timing-related assets around the Ground.

Our new staff uniform, developed with Hawes & Curtis and launched for the New Zealand Test match, has received positive feedback. Product development for the Hawes & Curtis Members’ range has also made good progress through the year with new items planned for launch in the first half of 2023

Our overall retail operation was hampered significantly by supply chain issues and as such, we did not have the level of stock or product variety we had planned to offer Members and other visitors – a cause of particular frustration during the season. Budget was met but we have significant improvements planned for 2023, both in-Ground and online.

Our Premium Seating Department brings together seasonal and daily suite options, hospitality experiences and our Debenture schemes. All exceeded budget despite the challenging Platinum Jubilee weekend scheduling of the New Zealand Test match (Bank Holidays having a negative impact on the corporate marketplace) and the early finish to the South Africa Test match (resulting in refunding a full house of premium bookers on Day 4).

In July, we launched our Debenture sale for the next four-year term which is an important element of our long-term stability and planning for the Club. We have seen a slightly lower renewal rate than our last sale in 2018-19 but we are still on course to meet budget with good interest and uptake from new audiences.

Tours of Lord’s had an exceptional year as the world re-opened. As international travel re-commenced, we saw a surge in bookings, particularly from India, helping surpass budget by c.50%, with excellent feedback across all experiences. Events & Experiences likewise recovered to surpass not just the re-forecast budget, adjusted to reflect the difficult period at the beginning of the year, but their original budget by the year-end. The outlook for 2023 is positive.

The Digital Department has continued to deliver excellent content throughout the year enabling us to engage with both Members and broader audiences, helping retain our position as the world’s most followed sports venue (now 4 2m followers across our channels).

The Lord’s Father Time Wall, to the rear of the Compton Stand, sold out its second phase, delivering not only revenue for the Club and the MCC Foundation but a highly engaging and emotive experience for visitors.

We delivered a successful year of Food & Beverage operations, as the Catering Department bounced back from two affected years, innovating around food, drink, and service. The delivery and high quality of food and drink were down in part, to the support and close working relationships we have with our partners and suppliers, despite the ongoing challenges of supply and inflation.

The difficulties facing the Hospitality industry from a staffing perspective remained from 2021 and the staffing team once again stepped up to deliver the necessary support, against a backdrop of travel strikes and event clashes during the season.

MCC Extras, the Member benefits programme launched in 2021, has grown consistently over 2022 and is now a wellsubscribed and engaged scheme with over 12,000 Members interacting with the monthly digital communication. We have a growing roster of 20 affiliate partners offering promotions or experiences for Members and a thriving Club Events calendar. Information about MCC Extras is available via the Members' area of our website at: lords.org/members-area/mcc-extras. This is also the platform on which we publish details of our reciprocal arrangements with other Clubs across the world.

We received an award for the Compton and Edrich stands at ECB’s Business of Cricket Awards, with the facilities recognised as “best in class”. The Club’s partnership with renowned chef Tommy Banks, which includes the operation of fine dining to Debentures holders in the two stands, continues to flourish as we look to maintain our strong reputation for food and drink.

Across the season, we delivered 11,000 covers in Members’ areas, pulled 720,000 pints across the Ground and served 4,200 meals to players. A recent Catering and Commercial survey of Members has provided valuable insight that we will now feed into the planning for 2023. Keeping quality high for Members whilst offering value across the portfolio is a key priority. Inflation pressures present an extra challenge for the season ahead.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The official unveiling of the Heyhoe Flint Gate, on the first morning of the South Africa Test in August, was a watershed moment for the Club. The gate, which faces on to St. John’s Wood Road, is a fitting tribute to the life and immense contribution to cricket of Rachael, Baroness Heyhoe Flint.

Anyone at the Ground, whether a Member, spectator or member of staff, can now report incidents anonymously via a text message service. The details are incorporated within the match day messaging both prior to attending the match and on the day itself, including on the scoreboards and perimeter advertising.

Anti-discrimination training was delivered to permanent staff by Show Racism The Red Card, an anti-racism education provider. An online training provider, Marshalls, launched a shorter version to incorporate within the casual staff induction process, which has been completed by 572 people to date.

A staff survey was held in February, to gain a better insight into how it feels to work for MCC from a cultural, practical and engagement perspective. The results highlighted a need to provide more mental health support and a reporting mechanism that ensures concerns can be shared, responded to and actioned effectively. Fourteen Health & Wellbeing Ambassadors subsequently undertook an upgraded Mental Health First Aid programme with deeper Mental Health training, and the integration of a “Freedom to Speak Up” pilot.

MCC’s first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Plan was published in January 2022. It sets out our ambitions for improving our diversity, fostering greater inclusion and ensuring that all stakeholders are treated equally and with kindness and respect.

More than one in four Members responded to the largest membership survey in a generation, which we conducted in November 2021. This survey provided demographical and attitudinal data, which was analysed and shared with Members in March. The survey findings are already helping to inform a number of EDI-related initiatives.

A new incident reporting system was introduced in time for the June Test match.

A review of the MCC Collections, undertaken in 2021, is now helping to inform our future Heritage & Collections strategies and projects, such as the accessibility and interpretation of documents and texts. A good example of this is the rehang of the Long Room (see the Heritage & Collections report on page 44), where a considered appreciation of the breadth of cricket’s history has resulted in a diverse representation of the greatest players at the Home of Cricket.

To mark International Women’s Day, a symposium took place in the Long Room, with all attendees subsequently invited to view our Women’s Exhibition in the Museum. A photographic portrait exhibition installed for Black History Month was complemented by a

documentary video, produced by MCC’s Digital Department, to highlight the history of black cricketers at Lord’s, past and present. You can read more about these projects on page 44

On the playing and coaching side, MCC worked in partnership with Middlesex to deliver a 50:50 gender split for its All Stars and Dynamos Centre bursaries, delivered across four local sites. For MCC’s after-school cricket provision, held during the first part of the season, 56% of participants were male and 44% female.

Changes to the Club’s membership nomination process introduced in October (see the M&GP report on page 34) have made it simpler to use. The option for Members to nominate a second individual per year, if that second individual is a woman, is a step towards addressing the historical imbalance in our gender diversity. Prior to launch, 8% of existing Candidates were female; since then, 22% of applications have come from women.

We are working to deepen the Club’s relationships with our local community. In April, MCC launched the season with an Iftar event in the Nursery Pavilion. Around 80 people took part in the event, which saw Members and staff (of all faiths and none) join with members of our local community to learn, share and celebrate the month of Ramadan together.

A successful bid secured ECB funding towards a multi-use area that includes a new Multi-Faith Centre, gendered ablution facilities and a second, permanent Changing Places washroom. Further details are provided within the Estates report on page 46

One in three consumers now actively moderates their alcohol consumption. Draught San Miguel 0 0 alcohol-free lager is now available on 30 taps at Lord's, the beer’s biggest draught distribution in the UK. This further affirms our pledge to offer choices to all our visitors, as well as supporting behavioural messaging to drink responsibly.

Finally, and as noted in the Nominations report on page 50, we are committed as a Club to ECB’s 12-point pledge on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. This is an area we expect to come into sharp focus with publication of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket's report into issues of discrimination within the game. With reference to the target set for governance diversity, the composition of the MCC Committee has changed in line with the data set out below.

COMMITTEE

M.W. Gatting (2/2) Chair

S.W. Bates (2/2) (ex-officio)

C.J. Connor (0/0)

Sir Alastair Cook (0/2)

H.D.P.K. Dharmasena (1/2) (ex-officio)

S.C. Ganguly (2/2)

J.L. Langer (0/0)

B.B. McCullum (2/2)

R.H. Raja (2/2)

K.C. Sangakkara (0/2)

R. Skerritt (2/2) (ex-officio)

G.C. Smith (0/0)

J. Cox Secretary

2021-22

The following individuals retired or stood down from the World Cricket committee in 2022:

T.B.A. May (2/2)

R.T. Ponting (0/2)

V. Van der Bijl (2/2)

WORLD CRICKET

January’s online meeting was followed, at Lord’s in July, by the committee’s first in-person meeting since 2019. The committee was still in shock at the sad news of the death of Shane Warne in March. He had been a very vocal and active member of the committee since he joined in 2018. A moment of reflection was held at the July meeting for him and for another very popular former committee member, Rod Marsh. Both are remembered elsewhere within this Annual Report.

At the beginning of the year, the committee recommended that the Club should carry out research into the causes of slow play in Test cricket. Consequently, between April and June, MCC retained a research student to monitor every day’s play in two County Championship matches and three Test matches.

There were approximately 31 5 minutes more lost on each day’s play across the Test series when compared to a day’s play in the County Championship (which itself could be faster), which consisted of the following:

• time lost between overs – 20 minutes

• DRS/Umpire reviews – 4 minutes

• ball changes/checks – 3 minutes

• equipment changes – 2 5 minutes

• sight-screens/movement – 2 minutes

The average change between overs in Test cricket took 14 seconds longer than in County cricket. This average was lengthened by certain protracted changes, but the average “standard” change of over (without a new bowler or batter) was 55 seconds in Tests and 45 seconds in County cricket. The quickest recorded change in a Test match was 34 seconds.

In Tests, drinks were taken one hour into each session, with about ten minutes lost per day. Drinks were taken at scheduled times regardless of any natural breaks in the previous hour.

THE COMMITTEE MADE THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS TO ICC:

In general, that ICC Playing Regulations be reviewed to tighten the parameters around when substitutes are permitted on to the field of play with gloves, drinks etc.

More specifically, when a Not Out decision is reviewed by the fielding side, the fielding team should immediately return to their positions, ready to bowl the next delivery. No drinks should be brought onto the field.

During DRS reviews, the standard protocol should be cut short as soon as the TV production team is aware that it will be Not out.

Drinks intervals should be taken immediately if a wicket falls or a DRS review is made within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

Players should be encouraged to play “ready cricket” at all times, which would include the bowler and fielders being in position when a new batter arrives at the crease.

Umpires and match referees should be more proactive at speeding up play and enforcing Laws 41 9 and 41 10, which provide a warning for the first offence of time wasting, followed by the award of Penalty Runs for deliberate slow play. Such “in-game” penalties, in combination with existing sanctions, would assist with the speeding up of play.

On average, four minutes were lost on each day’s play for DRS reviews and it took an average of 25 seconds for the fielding side to be ready to bowl the next ball after the DRS had confirmed an umpire’s Not Out decision.

The committee was complimentary of New Zealand Cricket’s announcement of equal pay for equal play, a five-year commitment that sees its male and female players receive the same match fees across all formats.

The growth of women’s cricket globally was very encouraging and the standard of bilateral cricket was continually improving. It was clear from discussions that women’s Test cricket is only currently financially viable in a

few countries but the committee welcomed ICC’s confirmation that Test matches can be agreed to be played over five days or four days, to increase the chance of achieving a result. As the women’s game continues to evolve, it will be important to continue this debate and the committee was open to a trial of a hybrid format, which might bridge the gap between white- and red-ball cricket and would enable cricketers who are already part of the white-ball pathways to be given exposure to the skills prevalent in longer forms of the game.

In men’s cricket, the committee noted that the economic imbalance between nations was becoming an increasing problem and needed addressing at ICC CEO committee level. It is not sustainable for Test cricket to be profitable in only a few countries and lossgenerating in most others. Test cricket cannot thrive under the current financial imbalance. The centralisation and standardisation of some key expenses, such as a provision for DRS, was recommended. If ICC was able to alleviate some of these and other fixed costs, Test cricket would become more financially attractive in countries where the format is not currently top of the agenda.

Ian Martin, ECB’s Head of Disability Cricket, gave a presentation on the current structure of disability cricket throughout the world. There was a clear imbalance in resources aimed at disability cricket globally. ECB had developed a new multi-impairment format to bring together deaf players alongside those with physical and learning disabilities in a structured competition. Such a format could provide a model to be replicated internationally, which would potentially assist a future drive to include cricket in the Paralympic Games.

The Club would like to thank Vintcent van der Bijl and Tim May, who stood down after the July meeting. Their commitment and contribution has been outstanding.

CRICKET

COMMITTEE

S.C. Taylor (4/4)

A. Akram (1/ 1)

B.J. Debenham (3/4)

A. Fordham (3/4)

A.R.C. Fraser (4/4)

M.W. Gatting (3/4)

E.K. Hubbard (4/4)

A.D.J. Kennedy (4/4)

L.K. McLeod (4/4)

I. Martin (1/ 1)

G.T.E. Monkhouse (4/4)

P.W.G. Parker (2/4)

Dr. S. Pathak (3/4)

Full crowds were welcomed back to Lord’s in 2022, after the Covid-19 pandemic. This return to relative normality shifted the committee’s focus to the formation and launch of a Cricket Strategy, aimed at guiding the Club’s delivery of cricket to Members and service to the broader game as it emerges from the constraints of the previous two seasons. After some preliminary work in late 2021, the MCC Cricket Strategy for 2022-24 was published mid-year, resetting the Club’s cricketing priorities and establishing key principles for MCC to prioritise and invest for the future.

A.G.R. Loudon (2/3)

The Cricket Strategy is based around four key pillars. The first of these is the Club’s global influence, driven predominantly through the continual development and clarification of the Laws of Cricket in combination with the debate of key issues and bold leadership of the World Cricket committee.

The second strategic pillar prioritises the provision of world-class facilities, with a clear focus on ensuring Lord’s remains the aspirational venue of choice of all cricketers and enhances its reputation as the Home of Cricket.

Thirdly, the Strategy sets out to advance cricket as a game accessible for all, through a multi-faceted focus on supporting the inspiring work of the MCC Foundation, building an increased awareness of disability cricket and the continual refinement of the Lord’s fixture

list, to ensure as many cricketers as possible can earn the right to play at Lord’s.

Finally, the Club is committed to the advancement of a Playing Members’ cricket programme, in the UK and abroad, which remains enjoyable for Members, whilst growing the reach and development of the game.

The four pillars are underpinned by a service-driven approach to MCC Members and all who attend Lord’s.

Pleasingly, the considerable efforts of the Lord’s Groundstaff were rewarded with consistently strong pitch ranking marks from match referees, culminating in an equal first ranking for the quality of four-day pitches prepared across the 2022 season. It has proved more challenging to achieve such consistently high-performing white-ball pitches.

An aggressive end-of-season renovation of the square was, in part, designed to further improve the presentation and performance of short-format pitches for 2023

soon as the season’s training commitments have concluded.

The committee considered the 17 recommendations of ECB’s High-Performance Review of Men’s Cricket in England and Wales and submitted a consolidated response, on behalf of MCC Members, to ECB. This response corresponded closely with the public views that whilst the majority of report findings sound positive, a mooted reduction in the amount of four-day matches would in fact jeopardise the existence of many counties and with it the county game, causing irreparable damage to the first-class cricket ecosystem. Against the backdrop of the report’s release, it has been interesting to watch the dramatic improvement in England Men’s Test match performances across the summer and more recently overseas, all seemingly a catalyst from a change in key leadership positions and a positive approach, rather than a reconfigured system.

It was a year which also saw the Indoor Cricket Centre fully operational once more. Upwards of 30,000 users of all ages and abilities were able to fine-tune their game under the watchful eyes of MCC’s committed coaches. Planning for a significant refurbishment of the facility commenced late in the year and these plans will be refined in 2023 for proposed works in 2024

Cricketing action was also back on the Nursery Ground, with new Lord’s U13 boys' and U15 girls' teams using the ground, as well as young male and female finalists from MCC Foundation Hubs. These trials provided confidence that the use of the Nursery Ground can be further expanded for age-group cricket in 2023. An enhancement of the playing surface, irrigation and drainage is currently planned for autumn 2023, commencing as

Following the review of minor matches at Lord’s and the resultant decision to withdraw the annual invitation for Oxford v. Cambridge and Eton v. Harrow to play at Lord’s, much of the committee’s time was directed towards the Club’s response to Members opposed to that decision. Just as this report was going to print, an extension to the period in which the matches will be hosted was agreed, with the composition of the minor match programme therefore continuing as a key focus in 2023

The committee bid farewell to Alex Loudon and Matt Dixon in 2022. Alex, who stood down following his relocation to the US, made a strong contribution and his depth of experience across the game will be missed. Matt departed having completed his second term as Chair of Men’s Players & Fixtures, which required a particularly effortful and agile approach to get MCC cricket up and running during the pandemic. Both leave with our grateful thanks. We were joined by Ian Martin and Arfan Akram, who bring working backgrounds in disability cricket and the community and club game, respectively.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

MCC’s community coaches continued to work with local schools to deliver the Club’s community cricket activity, offering each state school in Westminster a six-week programme during curriculum time both in the summer and the winter. Throughout the year, the coaches engaged with 5,077 children in primary and secondary schools.

In 2022, we were able to return to delivering the associated larger scale projects to complement the schools programme. Teaming up with Middlesex to host over 2,000 primary schoolchildren on the first day of their County Championship game against Leicestershire and over 1,000 young people of secondary school age for the corresponding day of the Nottinghamshire fixture. MCC also delivered London Spirit roadshows to Westminster schools from April until the end of the academic year. A London Spirit assembly was held at each school, with over 3,000 pupils given an opportunity to play the new format, before each going home with London Spirit merchandise.

Outside of the school environment, the Community Development Department ran regular cricket sessions in four centres

across Westminster as part of ECB’s national programmes, All Stars and Dynamos, which are specifically targeted at children aged 5-8 and 8-11 years respectively. Cricket activity was also delivered in other community settings, including youth clubs and holiday programmes to provide additional conduits for young people to access the sport.

The Club joined forces with the MCC Foundation to support newly-arrived Afghan refugees towards the end of 2021 and that work remained a key focus in 2022. A weekly programme of cricket activity at Lord’s, ranging from training in the Indoor Cricket

Centre to English lessons was designed to help these vulnerable families integrate into their new home environment. The success of the programme was recognised more widely when the project won the Tessa Jowell Community Award at the Sports Industry Awards 2022. Our work in this area has continued into the winter months, as we hosted a number of Ukrainian refugees to support their education needs whilst they were waiting to be allocated a place of education.

Mental health awareness has increased in recent years and the number of people suffering with mental health issues increased sharply with the onset of the pandemic. We partnered with the mental health charity, Mind, via their local organisation that operates in Brent, Wandsworth and Westminster, to deliver a project that provided an opportunity for people struggling with their mental health to try a range of sports in an informal and non-clinical space at Lord’s. By taking part in the programme, 75% of people reported significant improvements in their mental health and wellbeing, and 83% said it had improved their confidence.

THIS PROJECT HAS HELPED MY DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.

ONCE A WEEK I HAVE A DESTINATION TO GO TO AND I HAVE A MOTIVATION TO LEAVE MY HOUSE

An event for World Mental Health Day in October provided a catalyst to promote the programme and open up a broader discussion on mental health. Over 250 attended the day at Lord’s, ranging from primary schoolchildren to elderly local residents, and each group was able to listen to a panel discussion delivered by Opening Up Cricket, an organisation which promotes positive mental health in our sport, and Middlesex cricketer, Ethan Bamber.

Older local residents were the focus for further activities throughout the year. Walking Cricket in the Indoor Cricket Centre provides an opportunity to take part in a more accessible form of the game as well as a platform to come together at Lord’s and remain active. Alongside this programme, the Club hosted a weekly coffee morning to provide an opportunity for isolated members of the local community to meet.

We played a role in supporting homelessness charities by once again hosting the London CEO Sleepout at Lord’s. The event invites business leaders from across the capital to spend the evening at Lord’s experiencing first-hand a night in the cold night air, to gain some understanding of what life is like sleeping on the streets. The event raised £ 210,000, which will go towards tackling homelessness.

Unemployment continues to be an issue in Westminster and MCC’s employability programmes supported the local community in a number of environments. For those still in education, we delivered a work experience project which provided participants with valuable opportunities at the Club and covered customer service, CV writing and interview skills. In October, the Club partnered with Westminster City Council to host a Job Fair at Lord’s, with over 1,000 people signing up to attend throughout the day.

LAWS

SUB-COMMITTEE

The 3rd Edition of the 2017 Code of the Laws of Cricket came into effect on 1 October 2022. The changes, announced in March, are the most significant since the 2017 Code was released, with over 70 amendments throughout the blue book.

While many of these were relatively minor adjustments, some garnered more attention than others. Perhaps the most eye-catching was the change to Law 18 11 1, which now states that if batters cross and a catch is taken, the Not Out batter will return to his/her original end. Batters had been using the old Law tactically, to get a set non-striker to face the next delivery. This change re-adjusts the balance in favour of the fielding side, rewarding the bowlers for taking the wicket, as well as making the game easier to manage for umpires.

Away from the new edition, there were a number of Law-related incidents that required the Club to issue public statements.

The highest profile of these took place at Lord’s, when Deepti Sharma ran out England’s Charlie Dean to win a Women’s One-Day International for India. Running out the nonstriker has been a hot topic in recent years, and MCC’s position has been consistent for some time: it is for the non-striker to protect him/herself from being Run out by remaining in his/her ground until the ball is delivered.

Perhaps because of this incident, and the public debate which ensued, that message seems finally to be reaching the mainstream. We have seen a spate of such dismissals, or at least attempted dismissals, and the response – both in the media and within cricket – does seem to be shifting away from blaming the bowler, and more towards expecting the nonstriker not to leave his/her ground early. We have also seen a new and welcome trend of non-strikers watching the bowler’s hand until the moment of delivery, rather than “backing up” absent-mindedly.

The other major change was to codify the Covid-era Playing Condition banning the use of saliva on the cricket ball. While a bowler polishing the ball with their spit is an old tradition, MCC has long felt that it is both unhygienic and open to abuse (with players using sugary sweets to artificially alter the condition of the ball). During the pandemic, saliva was banned in international cricket, giving us a full data set to examine its impact. It turned out that sweat, which was being used instead, was equally effective to achieve swing, paving the way for a full ban on saliva.

If Sharma and Dean were involved in the most controversial Laws moment of the year, at Headingley, New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls suffered the most unfortunate one. Nicholls drove Jack Leach straight down the ground during the third men’s Test between England and New Zealand, only to see the ball strike his partner’s bat, balloon in the air and into the hands of Alex Lees.

There is little ambiguity in the Laws about this and the umpires were absolutely right to give it out but it left some – including Leach –a little confused.

Another Laws incident came in the final of the Men’s T20 Blast, which was one of the most dramatic climaxes to a tournament imaginable.

Hampshire’s Nathan Ellis had bowled Richard Gleeson of Lancashire from the final delivery, only to be called, belatedly, for overstepping. Needing two to win, Lancashire tried to run byes off the resulting free hit. The batters completed the first run but when Gleeson turned to run a second, his partner did not. Hampshire celebrated, before the non-striker, Tom Hartley, realised he could continue running. However, it was too late – the umpire had already considered the ball finally settled, with Hartley having effectively given up, and signalled Byes to the scorer, clearly demonstrating that the ball was Dead. Hampshire were victorious.

Just before the Men’s T20 World Cup, when England played Australia, batter Matthew Wade was clearly out Obstructing the field when he prevented England bowler Mark Wood taking a catch off his own bowling. However, captain Jos Buttler opted not to appeal. Under the Laws a batter may seemingly be ‘out’, but he/she can only ever

be dismissed if there is an appeal, or he/she voluntarily leaves the wicket.

This year saw the Laws sub-committee lose its longest-serving member, Chris Kelly, who stepped down in the summer. He had been part of the sub-committee for nearly 20 years, providing tremendous service and considerable expertise to MCC, and the Club would like to place on record its thanks for all his hard work. The sub-committee has been bolstered with three new members in 2022 , bringing a wide variety of skills and experience. Australian umpire Claire Polosak helps strengthen the group’s global credentials, while adding an in-depth knowledge of the women’s game and experience at the very top level of umpiring. Surendiran Shanmugam is one of ECB’s newest professional umpires and has the benefit of being involved, recently, in both the professional and recreational games. Finally, David Jukes, an ICC Match Referee with over 400 international games under his belt, brings a further unique perspective on the game.

SUB-COMMITTEE

B.J. Debenham (4/4) Chair

R.E. Arthur (2/4)

T.C. Drummond (0/0)

A.N. Harris (4/4)

J.E. Hindson (3/4)

W.G. Hodson (4/4)

G.D. James (3/4)

E.P.H. Jones (2/4)

P.J. O’Reilly (3/4)

K.G. Pearson (3/4)

T.W.W. Rash (3/4)

G.J. Rickman (4/4)

MEN'S PLAYERS AND FIXTURES

Records were broken in 2022 and it was not just the temperatures that were reaching extreme figures. MCC played more matches than ever, with 522 men’s Out-Matches scheduled, the numbers enlarged to accommodate anniversary games that had not been able to take place in 2020 and 2021

2021-22

M.R. Dixon (Chair) (4/4)

S.J. Birtwisle (2/4)

T. Kirk (4/4)

The “2022 season” actually got underway on 31 December 2021 at the MCG, with a wonderful dinner kindly hosted by Melbourne CC for MCC’s Australian-resident Playing Members that managed to avoid positive “RAT” tests (as Rapid Antigen Tests were known Down Under) to make their way to Victoria for the traditional post-Ashes fixture. Sadly, MCC sufferance the same fate as England, losing by 29 runs to a strong Australian side.

Thankfully, restrictions and testing were a thing of the past when MCC played Wisbech Town, hosts for our traditional curtain-raiser on home soil. Despite a warm first day, rain wiped out all chance of further play on the second, with the match one of only 22 matches to be abandoned during the season (remarkable in itself). After two disrupted years due to the pandemic, it was old-fashions rain that put paid to the game in 2022

A week later, Wales were finally welcomed to Lord’s after two false starts in 2021 and 2021 and were beaten by 83 runs by a strong MCC team which included Paul Stirling (Middlesex & Ireland). We also hosted the belated Centenary match against CTC de Flamingo’s. The Dutch touring side has enjoyed a close friendship with MCC, having played at Lord’s in 16 occasions since their formation in 1921. They played at the Home of Cricket every other year between 1921 and 1971, but had not graced the hallowed turf since 1996. Their only victory to date had come in 1946, against an MCC side that included Test cricketer Errol Holmes and future MCC Secretary Ronnie Aird. On this 17th outing, the visitors, led by Bas de Leede (a former MCC Young Cricketer) were beaten by 90 runs. MCC scored 309 from 50 overs, bolstered by 194 (off just 157 balls) from Irish international Andrew Balbirnie who, having

been elected earlier in the year, was presented with his first red MCC Membership Pass by Chief Executive Guy Lavender during the lunch break.

For the first time, MCC played two ECB Disability sides in the same summer. We have supported cricket for visually impaired cricketers for many years through our OutMatches against New College Worcester and the Worcestershire Elizabethans. This year, as part of our Cricket Strategy drive to encourage “Cricket for All” by diversifying our fixture list, we added a game against the England Deaf XI. The match was their final preparation before they departed for Australia to compete in the Deaf Ashes (in which they were victorious).

MCC’s captain for the side to face King’s College, Taunton, may have rued his decision to buck the usual trend by opting to field first, as the school galloped to 120 without loss in

nine overs. They were eventually bowled out for 335, with Nick Pang taking the tenth wicket to bag six in the innings. We had the opposite of starts in reply, being 50 for 5 at one stage, but thanks to a fantastic innings of 167 not out off 137 balls by probationer Finlay Yates (including a 130-run partnership with George Reid for the ninth wicket), the match ended in a dramatic ticket. On an eventful day, 670 runs were scored and 20 wickets taken.

There was another close match at New Hall School, situated near Chelmsford, Essex. Opener Ronnie McKenna hit 134 off 138 balls, wining him the 2022 Walter Lawrence Schools Award for the highest score by a school batter against MCC. He also earned an invitation to Lord’s in 2023 for the Schools Achievement Day – recognising all school cricketers who score a century or take five wickets against MCC the previous summer. McKenna’s innings

was the catalyst for a thrilling win by New Hall off the penultimate ball of the match (a solid sweep from Barney Debenham) as they chased down MCC’s score of 231 for 9 declared.

Oliver Davidson from Bromsgrove School put in a splendid all-round performance to earn his invitation to Lord’s. He opened the bowling (as a spinner) to take five wickets and then scored 59 not out in the chase, with MCC losing by 10 wickets.

It is an occasion for great pride whenever MCC is invited to share in a cricket club’s anniversary celebrations. We received 29 such invitations in 2022, with a further four clubs trying again to play their anniversary games which had been cancelled as a result of the pandemic-related disruption of the previous two seasons.

One such fixture was that against Olicanian CC in Ilkley. Formed in 1922 as an Ilkley Grammar School old-boys team, its pavilion was devastated by an arson attack in 2019 which not only destroyed the entire building, but tragically took with it all of the club’s memorability from the last 100 years. MCC played in their centenary week, with 2022 marking not only this historic milestone, but also a celebration of the opening of their new pavilion. We lost a closely fought match by 1 wicket.

Burges Hill CC (celebrating 150 years) entertained both MCC Men and MCC Women on the same pitch on the same day, with the four teams alternating their matches – men’s and women’s first innings before lunch, and second inning afterwards (MCC lost both games). It was the first time such a format had been played by the Club and the general feedback was incredibly positive. Perhaps something for the future?

Great Bentley CC in Essex celebrated their 250th anniversary – their first recorded match being played in 1771 between the Essex Gentlemen and Tendring Hundred for the prize of eleven hats. The 2022 match against MCC proved that a draw can be one of the most exciting results in declaration cricket. MCC declared on 282 for 5 and Great Bentley

reached 178 for 9 with a large number of overs left to bowl. The fielders were brought in as MCC looked for that elusive final wicket but, very fittingly, the home captain, Alex Youngs, and the youngest player on the fielder, Lilly Wainer, held out and the match ended in a well-earned draw. Thanks must go to the sponsors and volunteers, including Henry Fairbanks (erstwhile MCC Cricket Office employee), for their generosity and for uniting the entire local community under a giant marquee on England’s largest village green. The merits of declaration cricket continued to be discussed late into the night.

MCC membership often runs in families and the Club twice opened the batting with a father/son combination in 2022. Temoor and Rizwan Alam did so against Old Bedfordians and a pair of Shears (Guy and Felix) put on a 50-run first-wicket partnership against Irish Universities.

Following four knock-out days around the country, MCC Scotland took the honours in the Club’s intra-regional tournament at Lord’s in July. Having travelled the furthest and at the shortest notice, it was a well-earned victory for Andrew Brock and his men.

Our thanks go to all the opponents who host the Club so generously, to the officials and to all the other volunteers who make MCC cricket possible. It is also time to say farewell and thank you to Matt Dixon, who steps down as Chair of Men’s Players & Fixtures after seven years (his term having been extended by a year in consequence of the pandemic). His work to oversee a review of the Out-Match programme as part of the Cricket Strategy will ensure the Club continues to play enjoyable and meaningful cricket long into the future. It is hoped he can now relax and enjoy playing for the Club as a rank and file Playing Member.

WOMEN'S PLAYERS AND FIXTURES

Proverbially, “where there is a will there is a way”. MCC Women took fresh motivation from the advent of the Club’s first female President, Clare Connor. The arrival of Jamie Cox, with a passion for the women’s game, as Director of Cricket & Operations and a new Head of Women’s Cricket, Kari Carswell, provided a further boost, signalling a definite intent to play more matches.

MCC’s female cricketers had an unprecedented 47 days of cricket to choose from in 2022, with 14 of them organised as double- or triple-headers, enabling the Club to play more opponents than ever before – over 60 matches in total. This included three days on the Main Ground at Lord’s, on MCC Women’s Day, against the National Asian Cricket Council and as part of the Inter-Services T20 day.

On MCC Women’s Day in April, three 20-over matches took place. MCC Red and MCC Yellow teams (each comprising MCC cricketers) played in front of spectators for the first time, following last year’s inaugural game behind closed doors. The second game of the day was against Middlesex Women and an MCC Women’s Invitation XI took on the Sunrisers (the latter’s first outing at HQ).

The match against the National Asian Cricket Council was a double-header with the men’s teams, played on the day of MCC’s 235th AGM. In an exciting, closely fought 20-over contest, MCC lost by 1 run following a Run out off the last ball. However disappointing that was, at least the women’s game took place; for the second year running, the men were beaten by the weather.

Away from Lord’s, there were new fixtures against St. Edward’s School in Oxford, Epsom Academy, Reigate Grammar School, Ipswich School and The Leys School, plus anniversary games against Actonians CC and Burgess Hill CC (celebrating their 100th and 150th anniversaries respectively).

One of the challenges of increasing the number of women’s fixtures is increasing the number of female MCC cricketers available to

take part in them. Whilst there is no shortage of opponents wanting to play the Club, the number of women who consider joining our playing ranks has remained small but steady over the last 20 or so years. There are many reasons behind this but having matches that are attractive to cricketers and in locations that are geographically convenient at suitable times is key to recruiting new players.

against international touring teams, after a gap of many years. As the Games were to take place in Birmingham, a strong MCC side (including the Bryce sisters from Scotland and three players – Naomi Dattani, Phoebe Graham and Eve Jones – contracted to The Hundred teams) played Pakistan at Dorridge CC, who hosted the day magnificently. Two 20-over matches were played and, despite MCC losing both, the Pakistan management were delighted to get some match practice in local conditions in advance of the tournament.

We were also invited to participate in a tournament in the beautiful surroundings of Knebworth Park. The British Police, National Asian Cricket Council and Hertfordshire played alongside MCC in a round-robin tournament. Hertfordshire were the eventual winners, although both the British Police and MCC had them on the ropes in their respective matches until a late win in each secured their place as victors.

To counter the geographical problem, MCC Women packed their bags on several occasions during the summer, embarking on short trips to Scotland and Ireland, where there are few MCC cricketers, with the aim of encouraging players from outside the more traditional MCC heartlands to consider joining the Club. MCC had a successful threeday trip to Edinburgh, in spite of a shoulder injury to the Club’s most decorated female cricketer (and Chair of Cricket) Claire Taylor. The following month, MCC were hosted by Cricket Leinster and Cricket Ireland, with excellent hospitality and a warm welcome at both Merrion and Pembroke CC for the two matches played.

The inclusion of women’s cricket in the Commonwealth Games afforded a welcome opportunity for the Club to resume playing

At the summer’s height, two matches had to be cancelled due to the 40-degree temperatures: against the MCC Foundation XI and Reigate Priory CC. This was not something documented as having happened in the UK in the past. The death of Her Majesty The Queen in September saw the trip to Cornwall cancelled for the second time.

The contribution and achievements of Baroness Heyhoe Flint were recognised with the naming of a gate in her honour at Lord’s in August, and 2022 also saw the third presentation of the Heyhoe Flint Award for a promising young female cricketer. Ava Lee from Bradfield College was the recipient and joined Isabella Routledge (invited in recognition of a five-wicket haul against the Club in 2021), at Lord’s during the New Zealand Test. The Club is fortunate that both girls subsequently completed MCC Proposal Forms, thereby adding to the number of female cricketers who will be representing the Club in 2023

TOURS

MCC returned to a full touring programme in 2022, with men’s tours to Serbia, Romania, Italy and Uganda and a women’s tour to Nepal. Sides were selected from across the Playing membership, with all those involved creating memories that will live fondly with them. For our hosts, our visits provided valuable competition and allowed all involved the chance to share experiences and learn from each other.

Serbia was the destination for the first of our three European summer tours. We played five 20-over matches during a seven-day visit, including matches against the Serbian national side and the Belgrade Cricket Association. Toby Drummond, who plays for Toft in the Cheshire Premier League, captained MCC, whilst JeanPaul Rees was Team Manager. They led MCC to victories in all five matches.

As part of our commitment when touring, we provide coaching to local children and promote the game more generally. Cricket is a young sport in Serbia and MCC cricketers gave youngsters practical advice and tips at a session at the Belgrade Fortress, Kalemegdan, where the country’s first matches were played just 15 years ago. The touring side even appeared on local TV, all in the spirit of developing the growth of cricket in Serbia.

Our trip to Romania later the same month was timed to aid them with their preparations for ICC Europe’s T20 World Cup qualification competition in Finland later in the summer. MCC were captained by Doug Mulholland of Great Ayton CC, alongside Manager Mark Lomas and the Club returned four victories from four matches. Whilst the tour was a short one, it provided Members and hosts the opportunity to play meaningful and competitive cricket.

Italy made a huge effort to host our third and final European tour of the year, for which MCC was managed by Ian Gould (Middlesex & England), former MCC Young Cricketer and most latterly an international umpire. Sam Arthurton of Norfolk CCC captained the side.

The tour began in Rome, where MCC engaged in coaching and match play, before moving to Bologna. The Club played seven fixtures, winning all but one. A strong squad was selected, which justified the results but also meant Italy could expand their player pool and learn from the experienced touring party.

On our first trip to Uganda since 2013, it was wonderful to see how much growth there had been in the country’s cricket programme. Uganda boasts a strong women’s side and

they also continue to compete well in the men’s game, where they are ranked 24th in the T20I format. This is due in no small part to the thriving domestic competitions that have developed in the intervening years.

MCC selected a squad of mainly National Counties' (formerly known as Minor Counties) standard and were captained by George Thurstance of Bedfordshire CCC. We lost our first fixture but rallied to win the remaining six. Most noteworthy among these was the victory against the national side in the two-day game at Entebbe Oval, which was underpinned by the individual performance of the tour, as former Northants player David Murphy made an unbeaten 101. Batting in intense heat for well over five hours against some hostile fast bowling, Murphy dug in and helped set up a famous MCC victory, winning on first innings.

The tourists spent time coaching aspiring age-group cricketers and schoolchildren. The team played in a number of locations and were

On the pitch, although MCC found it hard to adapt to the slow and low pitches of Kathmandu and Pokhara, all the fixtures were extremely competitive. MCC won two of the six matches, half played as 40-over contests and the remainder as T20s.

Off the field, the squad led on coaching sessions for local children and for coaches themselves. These were run in conjunction with the MCC Foundation (MCCF), who have been working to deliver cricket to young people in Nepal since 2019, Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB) and the Cricket Association of Nepal. One MCC group spent time with academy players from Pokhara and Kaski, whilst three others headed to schools across Pokhara, where players came from schools supported by Kidasha, MCCF’s local delivery partner. There were 60-80 young cricketers at each two-hour session, with an even split of boys and girls. A gender sensitisation workshop also took place, during which there was discussion of

tour to Nepal. Claire Taylor, Chair of Cricket and former England international, managed an MCC side captained by Jennie Kitzinger. MCC played against the national side, as well as Development XIs and a mixed ICC U19 team comprising players from Malaysia, UAE, Bhutan, Qatar and the Nepalese hosts.

were part of the MCCF programmes told of how cricket empowers them in a relatively conservative society.

At the conclusion of the tour, the squad donated kit and clothing to Kidasha and CWB to distribute across MCCF programmes in Pokhara and Biratnagar.

COMMITTEE

V.K. Griffiths (1/ 1) Chair

J.B.H. Geffen (5/5)

C.F.E. Goldie (5/5)

M.S.C. Hickman (1/ 1)

L.G. Horitz (5/5)

R.L. Johnson (4/5)

I.N. Lovett (5/5)

P.D. Murphy (5/5)

Y.A. Patel (4/5)

E.M. Porter (3/5)

R.J. Stevens (1/ 1)

J.D. Wilson (4/5)

M.H. Choudhury Secretary

2021-22

The following individuals retired from the Membership & General Purposes committee in 2022:

Sir Ian Magee (Chair) (4/4)

S.A. Alterman (4/4)

E.P.H. Jones (2/4)

MEMBERSHIP AND GENERAL PURPOSES

Several new and important Member-related policies bore fruit in a productive year. Arguably the most time-consuming area of work supported by the committee was the introduction of a new Membership Nominations system – an update of the process by which Members put forward Candidates to join the waiting list and/or qualify as Playing Members.

It has been clear for some time that this process has needed some attention, this being the most significant change to the system in over 30 years. Our objectives in doing so are simple. Primarily, we want to attract the very best Candidates by encouraging applications from those with the strongest cricketing backgrounds. In addition, and this was the change we believe to be most welcomed by Members and staff alike, we were keen to move away from endless form-chasing by bringing everything online.

Members of M&GP played an instrumental role in sampling Members’ views and providing policy advice to enable initial details to be announced to Members in May. The new process was then launched, with the benefit of further feedback from Members, in October.

Early indications are that the new arrangements have been well-received by Members. We are also attracting a greater number and diversity of applicants through the work that has been conducted. Particular thanks are due to the M&GP sub-group who invested a huge amount of time and effort in supporting staff with this project.

A Membership Engagement Plan was drawn up to provide a blueprint for contact with Members throughout the year. The ambitious plan focused on activities that were relevant, informative and engaging for as broad a base of the membership as possible, while continuing to cater for Members who take a more active interest in Club governance. As a direct result of our discussions, M&GP drop-in sessions were introduced during the

men’s Test matches in June and August and the women’s ODI in September. An email address, memberquestions@mcc.org.uk, was promoted throughout the year, for Members to send in questions, comments and suggestions. It is already doing brisk business, with our staff responding to simple queries, while an M&GP sub-group was established to review policy-related submissions. This is proving instrumental in enabling Member feedback to be filtered to the wider committee for discussion and action.

Similarly, the Club Events calendar has been reviewed over the past twelve months with a view to ensuring that the event schedule is diverse enough to be attractive to a larger number of Members. November’s Club Dinner was a particular highlight. Themed on women’s cricket and hosted by Vicky Griffiths, Chair of M&GP, the evening involved a panel comprising broadcasters Alison Mitchell, Eleanor Oldroyd and Simon Hughes, as well

as ECB’s Beth Barrett-Wild, who heads up The Hundred women’s competition and female engagement. We look forward to similar events taking place at the Ground over the next twelve months.

M&GP’s remit includes a number of operational matters and in 2022 this included a review of our policies relating to the Members' Friends’ Enclosures and Regulations for admission into the Pavilion for certain match days. It has always been a priority to see the Pavilion full on as many match days as possible. The Club’s innovative approach to encourage Members to introduce more children to cricket by allowing youngsters as guests into the Pavilion during The Hundred has been held up as an example for others to follow. Members were also permitted up to four guests at last year’s Women’s ODI and Pavilion Dress Regulations were also relaxed to make these days as accessible as possible. These measures have been widely welcomed by Members and it is always a delight to see a young and engaged audience enjoying the excellent cricket on display.

Throughout the cricket season, surveys were sent to Members who attended each major match day. From the c. 5,000

responses we received, we were pleased to see the average rating for atmosphere among Members return to above 8 out of 10 for the first time since the pandemic. As always, the quality of Member services and facilities are of paramount importance to the Club. The committee has reviewed the data from the surveys alongside feedback it has obtained from match-day monitoring to ensure that changes can be made for the season ahead.

The autumn transition saw Ed Jones leave with our grateful thanks, having brought vigour, as well as valuable insight into the Playing Members’ perspective, to the committee during his tenure. Ed is replaced by Marcus Hickman, who has wasted no time in getting off the mark with some excellent suggestions as to how we might increase our use of data to better inform our discussions.

Finally, we were delighted to welcome Vicky Griffiths, who has taken over the reins from Sir Ian Magee as Chair of M&GP. Sir Ian led M&GP with great skill and energy over the last six years, always keen to challenge the status quo while remaining sympathetic to the needs and wishes of his fellow Members. He will be sorely missed but we will no doubt see him enjoying the Ashes in the Pavilion in 2023

MEMBERSHIP FIGURES

At 31 December 2022, the Club comprised the following Members:

In 2022 , 526 vacancies arose: deaths – 235; resignations – 149 ; lapsed membership – 126; and moved to Senior membership – 16. At 31 December 2022 , there were 11 , 558 Candidates awaiting election to Full membership. On the same date, Members elected 60 or more years ago were:

1945

The Rt. Hon. the Lord Saye & Sele

1946

J.A. Roth

1951

The Hon. Sir Oliver Popplewell, P.D.R. Smith

1952

Dr. H.M. Buckland, A.R. Longley, R.W. Partridge, H.I. Spottiswoode

1953

Sir Michael Colman, P.T. Lewis

1954

I.R. Eiloart, M.N. Garnett, R.O. Graham, M.D.T. Loup, P.G. Nathan, J.T. Reed, Sir Edward Studd, G.A. Thomas

1955

G.X. Constantinidi, G.G.F. Harper, J.R.L. Hill, J.W. Lewis, D.C.R. Morris-Marsham, K.P.A. Mathews, Rev. W.B. Norman, J.M. Phillips, A.C. Purefoy, R. Subba Row, D.V. Russell, T.C. Tilden-Smith

1956

The Rt. Hon. the Viscount Bridgeman, R.M.J. Burr, J.K. Divett, C.B.R. Fetherstonhaugh, Sir Christopher James Guise, G. Nolan, A.S. Nunn, R.V.C. Robins,

H.W. Russell, T.R. Summers, R.J.A.C. Wallace-Turner

1957

Major Gen. T.A. Boam, The Rt. Hon. the Viscount Brentford, T.B.H. Brunner, A.H. Carter, O.J. Colman, C.J. Crewdson, A.M.W. Davis, Sir Evelyn De Rothschild, A.L. Dowding, C.K. Edwards, J.F.W. Elvy, Capt. W.F.E. Forbes, J.A. Fulford, C.C. Giles, Rev. J.V.M. Gordon Clark, T.C. Gore, D.G. Gow, W. Harrison, M.O.S. Hawkins, Capt. A.B. Henderson, T.M. Jaques, A.A.W. Kimpton, N.F. McCarthy, I.C.H. Moody, J.S. Murdoch, M.P. Murray, A.C.A. Myers, Brig. A.D. Myrtle, The Rt. Hon. Sir Michael Nicholson, R.S. Pease, G.O. Pemberton, D.J.C. Peppercorn, M.L. Phillips, R.M.G. Simpson, J.H.V. Sutcliffe, Col. G.W. Tufnell, B.H. Williamson

1958

D.E. Abelson, D.C.K. Allen, The Rt. Hon. the Viscount Ashbrook, J.R. Asprey, A.N.G. Ayling, The Rt. Hon. Sir Scott Baker, R.W. Barber, Col. R.R. St. J. Barkshire, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Benjamin Bathurst, G.S. Beccle, J.R. Benson, G.E. Bidlake, T.D. Bishop, J.F. Bone, Sir Euan Bowater, D.W. Bowyer, Cdr. D.M.L. Braybrooke, G.R. Bristowe, J.B. Brow, M.E.C. Brown,

G.F.H. Burne, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Butler of Brockwell, N. Butterworth, A.E. Buxton, Brig. E.D. Cameron, Sir Edward Cazalet, M. Chalcraft, M.J.C. Christopherson, C.S. Clayton, A.M. Collett, P.G. Collett, T.H.C. Combe, D.A.M. Connell, Dr. G.W. Cook, Major-Gen. Sir Simon Cooper, J.R. Cope, R.G. Cottam, R.F. Crang, E.P.S. Curtis, Sir William Bromley-Davenport, J.G.W. Davidson, J.S.V. Davy, D.J. Delaforce, R.H. Dickinson, D.C. Dodd, R.A. Eckersley, P.A.C. Edwardes, R.W. Ellis, R.L.O. Ely, P.J. Everington, Capt. C.T.F. Fagan, J.J.S. Farmer, T.M. Farmiloe, J.M. Fetherston, D.S.J. Figgis, E.C.M. Fox, J.E.F. Fox, S.A.C. Francis, S.R. Frisby, J.M. Fry, P.H.C. Fuente, J.A.C. Gairdner,

J.S. Garlick, J.S. Gilbert, A.H. Gilroy, R.C. Glossop, N.A. Gold, N.R. Gomm, G.D. Gordon, R.M.N. Green, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Grey of Codnor, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Hacking, R.L.C. Hartley, A.F. Heatly,

A.D. Hignett, A.J. Hill, R.P.C. Hillyard, Sir Michael Hobbs, M.J. Hodder,

J.V. Hose, J.F.C. Hull, H.R.J. Human, C.B.M. Hunt, G.W. Hutton,

J.H.H. Illingworth, J.A.T. Johnson,

J.H. Jones, R.H. Jones, J.A.A. Kerrich, M.B.J. Kimmins, H. Lang, R.M. Latham, P.R. Le Cras, Brig. C.J. Lee, Sir Michael Leighton, D.J.F. Longrigg, J.R. Morris-Marsham, R.C.P. Mayhew, D.R. McCarthy,

C.N. McCorquodale,

I.H. McCorquodale,

The Hon. I.M. McLachlan,

The Hon. C.M. McLaren, Dr. D.A. Melford, Dr. R.T.G. Merry,

A.A. Meyer, K.M.H. Millar,

J.E.A. Mocatta, M.S.J. Montgomery,

J.W. Myring, C.R.B. Neame, Dr. Sir Robin Nicholson,

The Rt. Hon. the Lord Norrie,

R.H. Nunes, C.P. Nupen,

H.J.K. Bagnall-Oakeley,

Rev. P.C.K. O’Ferrall, C.H.W. Parish,

R.J. Parker, K.J.S. Paterson,

P.J.M. Patten, A.R. Pattison,

R.B.F.L. Penfold, A.F.C. Petch,

G.W.G. Philipps, Sir Michael Pickard,

C.C.H. Picton, I.A.D. Pilkington, Sir Thomas Pilkington, G.E. Pratt,

R.J. Pratt, H.C. Pryor, E.R. Raikes,

B.R. Rea, R.C.T. Redmayne,

L.C. Reed, R.W. Ridgwell,

C.J.A. Robbie, J.F.C. Page-Roberts,

R.D. Robertson, A.S. Rogers,

E.M. Rose, M.C. Seligman,

The Rt. Hon. the Lord Selsdon,

C.P. Sharman, N.J.G. Sharp,

Prof. I.A.C. Sinclair, M.A.L. Slowe,

P.J.C. Smallwood, M.J.K. Smith,

N. Durden-Smith, T.F. Villiers-Smith,

W.H. Sowerby, D.I.F. Spence,

R.D.E. Spencer, Sir Beville Stanier,

J.A. Stanley, Sir John Starkey,

I.M.A. Stewart, T.J. Straker,

H.M. Stratford, N.M. Stratford,

J.A. Streeter, C.P. Sydenham,

B.M. Thornton, J.G.H. Thwaites,

M.J.C. Tress, J. Vallins,

J. Van der Borgh, G.J. Walker,

B.J. Ward, Major Gen. R.W. Ward,

N.R. Warwick James, Dr. W.M. Weir, Sir John Kemp-Welch,

W.A.S. Wesson, Rev. E.R.W. Whalley,

M.J.V. Wilkes, J.M. Parry-Wingfield,

A.S.R. De W. Winlaw, P.F. Worlidge,

B.J.R. Wright, Dr. R.C.W. Wynne,

J.D.C. Young

1959

J.D. Appleyard, T.J. Armour,

Lt.-Col. J.R. Arthur, R.B. Bamford,

P.A. Raymond-Barker, Rev. P.T.A. Bassett, F.P.L. Bedwell, N.H. Block,

H.C. Blofeld, Capt. D. Boehm,

I.D.B. Bond, C.M. Brain, T.D. Brickhill,

J.B. Brooks, G.J. Chidgey, J.A. Clay,

M.H. Cockell, Cdr. J.A. Coleman, G.W. Taunton-Collins,

Lt.-Col. A.J. Collyns, J.B. Colquhoun,

S.H. Compton, R.J. Cossens,

J.D. Cucksey, R.A. Cusins,

R.A. Daniell, J.H. Davies, G. Dimock,

J.D. Drysdale, J.N. Brankin-Frisby,

C.A. Fry, G.B.L. Gale, P.J.S. Graham,

P.W.P. Graham, E.C. Griffith,

M.C. Grint, P.H.St.C. Grondona,

J.C.T. Harvey, D.B. Hill, R.W. Hurd,

N.R. Hyde, J.A.L. James,

C.W. Johns, W.B. Johnston,

E.J. Lane Fox, D.J. Lawrence,

Capt.

A.J.B. Laybourne,

M.S. Lewis, J.N. Lotery, A. Mackintosh, The Rt. Hon. the Viscount Marchwood, O.J.D. Marriott, C.N.J. Marston, W.P. Martineau, G. McCorquodale, R.R. McGregor, C.H.W. Michell, R.P. Milligan, T.W. Morkill, A.D. Morrogh, Major T.M. Murari, N.R. Nutting, P.R. Nutting, J.C. Oscroft, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Palumbo, A.D. Pilcher, The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Portarlington, E. Raw, H.K. Ready, C.N. Reed, W.D. Robertson, R.G.St.J. Rowlandson, R.J.J. Rusher, Rev. Canon A.E.H. Rutter, T.H.S. Seager Berry, G.W. Shepherd, G.F. Sills, C.F. Carney-Smith, J.S. Glanvill-Smith, R.H. Stanton, J.R.G. Stephenson, R.A. Stiby, Sir Thomas Stockdale, P.J.G. Stow, C.A. Strachan, Dr. R.A. Sturge, A.J. Taylor, S.W. Twyman, Col. C.H. Van Der Noot, D.M. Veit, R.M. Voelcker, Cdr. N. Waldemar Brown, M.O.C. Wauchope, R.K. Whiley, J.R. Wicksteed, D.S.A. Anslow-Wilson, M.J. Worth

1960

C.R. Beale, Sir Martyn Evans-Bevan, Rev. Canon S.N.D. Brown, M.D.K. Burns, T.G.A. Chappell, B.E. Chesworth, J.G. Cumming, The Rt. Hon. the Viscount Dilhorne, Dr. D.A. Fergusson, M.R. Hill, Dr. C.E. Hoare, G.M. Holt, Col. J.S. Knox, C.M. Mallett, His Hon. T.J. Milligan, T.P.G. Neale, B.V. O'Gorman, N.D. Parks, R.M. Prideaux, B.R.I. Scorer, A.C. Smith, T.C. Stephenson, J.R.E. Sutcliffe, O.S. Wheatley

1961

Capt. C.R. Acland, The Hon. B.J. Alexander, J.P. Alexander, P. Baring, H.C. Baylis, J.J.J. Bell, The Hon. P.M. Benson, M.G.I. Betts, R.B. Bloomfield, N.N. Bown, Sir Kenneth Carlisle, R.J. Carr, Dr. P.F. Christy, P. Clark, C.N. Collyns, R.E. Coote, S.P. Courtauld, D.J. Dobbin, I.H. Dunlop, J.E. Goldsmith, J.J. Hall, J.W. Harris, C.T.E. Hayward, The Rt. Hon. the Viscount Head, Major T.W.O. Herbert, A.J. Jamison, C.J.O. King, C.R. Lambourne, P.D.M. Larman, D.W. Lewis, D.J. Mitchell, M.J. Mitton, R.M. Moody, Prof. D.R. Myddelton, M.G. Nash, F.W. Neate, Capt. H.L. Peers, T.C. Pilkington, G.L. Prain, Dr. J.G. Rankin, M.L. Rawes, J.H. Riley, A.J. Robarts, Sir Simon Robertson, N.E.R. Robson, A.J.N. Russell, D.W.T. Shannon, M.K. Shennan, Dr. M.A. Shirley, T.W.A. Smith,

D.V. Taylor, Major M.F. Timmis, R.C. Tomkins, J.A.H. Townsend, R.A. Travis, Capt. T.G. Usher, A.J.W. Vine, The Rt. Hon. Sir Mark Waller, M.D. Wigley, W.H.G. Wilks, T.R. Woollatt, I.R. Yates, P.M.H. Young

1962

D.H. Adler, N.S. Agar, The Rt. Hon. the Earl Alexander of Tunis, J.P. Allday, R.G. Allen, R.A. Angier, G. Atkins, A.J. Barclay, C.S. Barton, J.I. Bell, R. Bennett,

H.G.C. Boddington, Sir John Bond,

D.S. Bousfield, A.V.B. Broke,

D.R. Brotherton, C.J. Cadell, M. Cannon Brookes, Brig. D.B.W. Webb-Carter,

C.W.L. Cary, P.R. Chamberlain, Lt. Col. P.G. Chamberlin,

M.R. Cheyne, M.R.F. Noel-Clarke, D. Coley, D.D.S. Comer, G.V. Cooper,

D.C. Copp, J.M. Crawhall,

P.H. Crocker, D.H.M. Dalrymple,

A.F.N. Dew, S.M. De Zoete, Dr. T.F.W. Dilke, C.V. Dinwiddy,

D.C.F. Dobbie, J.F. Doubleday,

A.D. Dowlen, T.H. Drabble,

Dr. R.J. Courtenay-Evans, R.P. Farr, Dr. D.J.D. Farrow, D.R. Fison,

R.C.G. Fortin, I.S.G. Foster,

J.J. Gardner, H.T. Gauntlett,

D.J.L. Godfray, H.P. Gold,

J.D.A. Gordon, Dr. M. Gornall,

D.Q. Gurney, D.F. Gwynne, Sir Ronald Hampel, Sir Ewan Harper,

J.A.B. Hart, Dr. R.S.W. Hawtrey,

P.B. Hay, A.T. Pearce Higgins,

M.F. Hodder, G.M. Hoghton,

G.W. Horrex, R.C. Howes,

R.M. James, T.J. Kendall,

D.C. Knechtli, D.J.F. Lawrence,

Lt.-Col. J.D. Lawrence, Dr. J.B. Leane,

E.J.W. Lewis, G.A. Lewis,

V.R. Hedley-Lewis, Dr. G.R.G. Lewison, C.C.D. Lindsay, J.H.P. Lister,

J.R.M. Lloyd, R.A.G. Luckin, A.A.F. Lumsden, Sir Simon Bowes

Lyon, G.A. Lyons, P.J. Maitland,

N.F. Mason, R.F.S. Miles, J.R. Millard,

E.C.B. Mocatta, Brig. J.N.B. Mogg,

G.A.B. Norman, G.W. Norris,

A.G.H. Nugent, M.L. Pecker, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Penrhyn, P.C.B. Pockney, A.C.A. Quicke, T.S. Rait, Dr. H.A.S. Reid, G.C.H. Robertson, C.B.N. Rome,

R.N. Sax, S.W. Schlich, I.D. Scofield,

G.J. Sharman, J.J.L.G. Sheffield,

S.G. Sheppard, R.D.A. Sich,

C.E.M. Snell, T.B.N. Spicer, N.M. Stephens, C.L. Stephenson, B.T.J. Stevens, D.A. Tate, P.F. Till,

S.P. Tindall, M.H. Titley, T.C. Travers, J.O. Trumper, D.W. Vale,

D.W.L.M. Vereker, P.A.G. Banes-Walker, M.G. Waller, D.V. Watkins, Rear-Admiral

N.J. Wilkinson, R.B. Williams,

D.R. Woolley, P.J. Workman

CLUB EVENTS

Pandemic restrictions abated to ensure the full resumption of Members’ Events in 2022, but the programme was not immune to disruption. Club Events staff instead found themselves searching for last-minute replacements to cover speakers affected by train strikes or, inevitably, the continued spectre of a positive Covid test.

The year began with the ever-popular Supper Nights. We hosted eleven throughout the year with over 1,700 Members and guests in attendance. We also hosted six Club Dinners, a Candidates’ Dinner, four Evening Tours and two Art Tours. There were five Sunday Lunches, held in the Committee Dining Room, which remained very popular. Continuing the success of previous years, four Literary Suppers were held in the Writing Room, featuring talks by John L. Williams; James Coyne and Tim Abraham; Dr. David Woodhouse; and Dr. Michael Down.

Finally, in December, the Long Room cast its spell over attendees at a hugely enjoyable Evening of Carols (raising over £3,000 for St. John’s Hospice) and a pair of Christmas Lunches, at which Ian Lovett and Angus Fraser kept everyone entertained.

In addition to the historical portfolio of events, and as part of the Membership Engagement Plan, we also explored new activities for Members to broaden the appeal within the membership. A new event combining outfield perambulation with a behind-thescenes tour was one of the highlights of the year. Members and guests were welcomed on to the Main Ground, after which they were able to take in areas of the Ground usually unseen by most, including the Match Officials area and the Control Room, where our Head of Ground Operations, Jeff Cards, explained how Lord's operates during a match day.

Other events hosted for Members in 2022 included a Wine Masterclass, a Gin Evening with MCC’s gin partner Hendrick's, a dinner for new Members, an Ale Tasting and beginners’ cricket sessions in the Indoor Cricket Centre.

Online, Members were treated to a Spring Special preview of the cricket season, hosted by Director of Cricket & Operations, Jamie Cox, as part of our MCC Extras Presents series. Rahul Dravid, Shaun Pollock, Ian Bell and Catherine Campbell generously gave their time to join the session from around the world.

Away from London, Members’ dinners were held at Headingley in September and Edinburgh in November.

The following is a list of Members’ dinners and lunches held at Lord’s – in the Long Room or Committee Dining Room – during the year, at which a guest speaker was present:

JANUARY Club Dinner | Rob Lynch

FEBRUARY Club Dinner | Ian Lovett

MARCH Club Dinner | Meike Ziervogel

MAY 235th Anniversary Dinner | Jim Carter

OCTOBER Club Dinner | Gyles Brandreth

NOVEMBER Club Dinner Simon Hughes, Alison Mitchell, Eleanor Oldroyd and Beth Barrett-Wild

DECEMBER

Lunch Club Dinner Christmas Lunch

| Ian Lovett | Simon Hughes | Angus Fraser

6 December

TENNIS AND SQUASH

SUB-COMMITTEE

G.E. Pemberton (4/4) Chair

S.M.W Bishop (4/4)

J.P.I. Douglas (1/4)

K.A. Evers (0/ 1)

T.P. Friend (4/4)

J.W.E. Giddins (4/4)

I. Harvey (1/ 1)

G.J. Marks (4/4)

J.B. Potter (1/ 1)

W.G. Taylor (3/4)

H.E. Ray Secretary

2021-22

The following individuals retired from the Tennis & Squash sub-committee in 2022:

W.J. Coley (2/3)

L.J. Dowley (0/3)

Renewal was a running theme for 2022. At the beginning of the year, the tennis court roof was repaired and the dressing-rooms and professionals’ office were redecorated, with the opening of a new honesty bar in the Dedans providing another welcome development.

We were also delighted to announce the appointment of Chris Bray as Head Professional. Chris, who joined us on a fulltime basis in August, had a very successful playing career, achieving a world ranking of number two in singles and number one at doubles. Chris’s arrival also enabled the Club to join the T&RA’s apprenticeship scheme and Nat Cherry is now being trained at Lord’s.

The Club's Tennis Weekend, played from 28-30 January, produced the following winners:

Mason Sharp Cup:

Jonathan Ellis-Miller and Kate Evers

Osborn/Parker Cup:

James Leeper and Sebastian Wood

The finals of the Club’s annual tennis competitions for 2021 were finally concluded in February 2022 as follows:

D.P. Henry Cup:

Ben Jeffery beat Richard Gray 6/3, 3/6, 6/1

W.H. Ollis Cup:

James McDermott beat Andrew Hinds 6/4 6/5

R. Aird Cup:

Nick Jeffery & Ben Jeffery beat

Ronald Paterson and Chris Thomas 6/2 , 6/4

H.D. Johns Cup:

Gareth Zundel & Sebastian Wood beat

Jonathan Ellis Miller & Richard Spencer 6/3, 6/4

R.G. Paterson Bowl:

Ben Jeffery beat Ben Martin 6/2 , 4 /6, 6/3

The winning run continued for Sebastian Wood and Gareth Zundel who competed and won for MCC in the Callender Cup (the club handicap doubles "Champion of Champions” competition), at Wellington Real Tennis Club. An MCC team (Steven Bishop, Iain Harvey and Nigel Smith) also won the Moreton Morrell inter-club tournament.

In March, the Covid-delayed MCC Gold Racquet Challenge for 2021 was played at Lord's between holder Ed Kay of Cambridge and Jamie Douglas who was intent on winning his tenth title. This he did, winning 6/1, 6/3, 6/5 Jamie and Ed met again in June, this time for the 2022 Gold Racquet, with Jamie prevailing once again in a blistering contest to win 6/2, 6/0, 3/6, 6/3. Jamie’s successful year carried over to the squash court, as he won the Over35 South of England Masters tournament. He is currently well on course to qualify for the England Over-35 squash team.

This summer, we worked with mental health charity Mind to introduce a local group to the game of real tennis. The two-hour session began with quirky historical facts from the sport’s origins as a street game to the evolution and development of the court, racket, ball and scoring system. The group then took to the court to try their hand at serving, returning serve and hitting targets.

In October we were proud to host the Bathurst Cup at Lord's for the first time since

1980. The Bathurst Cup is the pre-eminent international amateur team competition in real tennis and MCC held the event in conjunction with the T&RA and Pol Roger. The British team, comprising MCC’s Jamie Douglas (captain) and Jamie Giddins, playing alongside Ed Kay and Rob Shenkman, won the competition. Great Britain Women also took the honours in a match against Rest of the World Women, being held for the first time. The week-long event concluded with a black-tie dinner in the Long Room attended by Countess Bathurst.

the arrangements impeccably on the night, Ian Harris has also taken the lead during the monthly club nights.

The 2022 competitions did not suffer the delays which had dogged the 2021 season and concluded before the end of the year as follows:

D.P. Henry Cup: Tony Friend beat Corin Fisher-Jenkins

6/4 5/6 6/3

W.H. Ollis Cup: Mark Clifford beat Jonathan Everton-Wallach 3/6, 6/3, 6/0

R. Aird Cup: Henry Stuttaford & James Pittaway beat Jonathan Potter & Graeme Marks 6/3, 6/0

H.D. Johns Cup: Conor Coley & Sinead Coley beat Giles Stogdon & Nigel Smith 6/5, 6/4

On the squash court, we fielded three teams in London’s prestigious Bath Club Cup, the oldest squash competition in the world, in its centenary year. We are one of just three clubs in London to have played every year of the tournament since 1922

MCC’s Aubrey Waddy received an award (occasionally announced) for longevity, and is still playing in the Veterans doubles, having first represented the Club in 1973 Our first and second teams finished creditably mid-table in 2021-22 and look to achieve the same or a little better this season. Retirements and injuries meant the Vets team did not win the league in 2021-22, as they have so often in recent years, but are in third position at the halfway point in the 2022-23 season.

MCC played Bristol in the preliminary round of the Inter-Club Championship Brodie Cup at Lord’s in October and lost 3-2. The MCC team in the Inter-Club Championship Pol Roger Trophy fared better in their first match beating The Royal Tennis Court 4-1 A successful skills night at Lord's in November was won by Allan Adair, Stephen Bough and Barry Nathan. As well as managing

The resumption of social events meant sub-committee members past and present were finally able to mark the retirement of two of their number, Brian Sharp and Roger Pilgrim (both former Chairs) with a Committee Dining Room dinner. We also wish to thank Justin Dowley and James Coley, who stepped down from the sub-committee at the end of September. In their place we are pleased to welcome Kate Evers, Iain Harvey and Jonathan Potter.

SUB-COMMITTEE

S.A. Alterman (3/3) Chair

P. Barua (0/0)

D.W. Bates (0/0)

R. Bourne (3/3)

D.H.R. Flint (3/3)

A.R. Lezard (3/3)

P.B. Rust (2/3)

R.P. Tenzer (2/3)

H.E. Ray Secretary 2021-22

The following individual retired from the Bridge, Chess and Backgammon sub-committee in 2022:

G.P. Lane (3/3)

BRIDGE, CHESS AND BACKGAMMON

The Lord’s Trophy bridge competition returned to the Pavilion with six teams competing. Nigel Clayton, Peter Donovan, Harvey Laurance and John Davies emerged with a narrow victory. The Rubber Bridge competition, with some matches online and some face to face, attracted 16 pairs. In the final, Gary Diamond and Russell Tenzer snatched victory on the final hand from Michael Bailey and David Mannooch. The Plate competition for pairs who did not make the knockout phase was won by Dominic Flint and Pamela Reiss.

The Master Points Trophy for performances during the year at our Club Nights went to Mike Alsford, who finished well ahead of runner-up John Davies. In representative matches against London Clubs, after losing the first three matches, MCC teams won the next two, with eight matches still to play in 2023

Our flagship bridge event, the Mixed Swiss Teams, attracted 21 teams of four to the Long Room. For the first time in many years, victory

CHESS

After a surprise early season loss in the Hamilton-Russell Cup against the Athenaeum Club, we managed to claw ourselves back into contention heading into our final match against the RAC. Regrettably, the MCC team came second and the RAC took the cup. Our record for the season was five wins and two losses. The 2021-22 season concluded with an MCC first team of Adam and Tom Eckersley-Waites, Gary Senior, Dominic Lawson, Nick Collacott and Ed Goodall convincingly retaining the annual RAC Speed Trophy.

The friendly side achieved a good mix of wins and losses in a highly enjoyable season. It was particularly pleasing to see a number of new faces turning out for both friendly games and Club Nights.

The 2022-23 season has started well with the Cup side winning its first three fixtures.

BACKGAMMON

went to a team comprised largely of MCC Members: Bill Coles, David Alterman, Simon Alterman and guest Jo Jarrold.

The Bridge Society’s Annual Dinner was very well attended, thanks no doubt to having Andrew Robson – one of the greatest British players of his generation – as our guest speaker. Andrew became a Full Member of MCC in 2022

We came in a very respectable second place, tied on points with RAC in the 2021-22 London League season. The 2022-23 season has seen a larger number of new Members playing, some of whom have already been able to contribute to league success. By the end of the year, we had won matches against Chelsea Arts, Roehampton and Hurlingham, but narrowly lost against The Union. Nonetheless we have a clear shot at claiming the title.

Our own monthly Online League, which for a period was our only opportunity for playing fellow Members, has remained in flight, and shows no signs of diminishing popularity.

GOLF

Our Golf Society mailing list now includes over 2,300 Members, many of whom played in at least one event during the year. We held 35 Golf Days, competed in 55 matches against other clubs and societies, and embarked on five tours as we returned to a near full and uninterrupted schedule. Our combined Golf & Bridge matches also resumed normal service and of the 18 matches played, MCC won seven, lost eight and drew three.

Following the conclusion of our longstanding arrangement with The Berkshire Golf Club, we were delighted to have been able to agree “home course” arrangements with Ashridge, Denham, Hollinwell, Royal Porthcawl, Rye and Worplesdon. This allowed us to successfully host a number of matches in 2022

Ireland we were honoured to be able to play at Royal Portrush and Royal County Down, amongst others. The East Lothian tour was the last to be managed by Geoff Ball, to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude. Our first tour to Paris included a visit to Morfontaine, one of the finest courses in continental Europe.

As usual, Sunningdale provided the stunning setting for some of the highlights of the year. There was glorious weather for our 25th Golf Finals Day in August, which was contested by 37 Golf Day winners from across the previous twelve months. Aalok Soni emerged as the 2022 champion with an excellent score of 35 points. The Scratch Competition, in mid-September, attracted 24 golfers whose handicaps ranged from +0 7 to 7 3. Christopher Harrison, fittingly with the lowest handicap, won with a gross 75, on countback from Julian Thompson.

Our tour to Oman included a cricket match and the inaugural Netherlands trip included the opportunity to help celebrate the centenary of CTC De Flamingo's. In Northern

We also enjoyed two excellent social events at Lord’s. Former MCC Assistant Secretary Jamie Clifford, now Secretary at Rye Golf Club, entertained us at the Spring Lunch. At our Annual Dinner in November we welcomed Vicky Griffiths, newly appointed Chair of Membership & General Purposes, and Niall Farquharson, who chairs the R&A’s General Committee, as our principal guests.

We are grateful to Anthony Warley, who stood down from the sub-committee after six years’ service and look forward to his continued involvement in MCC Golf, managing some of our popular overseas tours. Joining the subcommittee in the autumn were Rob Austin, Matt Dixon, Howard Gill and Neil Hunt. We are looking forward to a busy 2023 season.

COMMITTEE

J.O.D. Orders (4/4) Chair

Dr. D.G. Allen (1/ 1)

R.W. Gray (4/4)

J. Harris (3/4)

E. John (4/4)

C.C. Lloyd (4/4)

M.A. Loveday (4/4)

G.C. Matthews (3/4)

D. Peltz (4/4)

R.H.E. Steele (4/4)

J.C.P. Watson (1/ 1)

M.H. Choudhury Secretary

2021-22

The following individuals retired from the Heritage & Collections committee in 2022:

Dr. S.H. Lloyd (2/3)

Prof. R.J.H. Simon (3/3)

T.C. Marsden-Smedley (3/3)

HERITAGE AND COLLECTIONS

Undoubtedly the highlight of 2022 from a Heritage & Collections perspective was the unveiling of the new Heyhoe Flint Gate on the first day of the South Africa Men’s Test match in August. The culmination of more than a year’s planning, the new gate offers a fitting and elegant outward-facing memorial to one of the most significant and influential cricketers in recent memory.

Situated on St. John’s Wood Road, a short stroll from the Grace Gates which opened exactly 100 years earlier, Peter Weldon’s superb traditional ironwork takes many of its design cues from the Grace Gates and features a subtle rendering of Rachael Heyhoe Flint’s initials picked out in gold. Adjacent to the new Gate, a remarkable bas-relief portrait of Baroness Heyhoe Flint – the work of awardwinning sculptor Robert Hunt – has been fixed to the wall. The sculpture is cast in bronze and complemented by an inscription in Portland stone. An artist’s copy in resin was displayed at the Society of Portrait Sculptors’ annual FACE exhibition the same month, to great acclaim.

February saw a comprehensive rehang of pictures in the Long Room, creating a vibrant display of portraiture which celebrates both

allowing the design group to experiment with a number of visual options. The end walls feature pairings of portraits which either match (McGrath and Muralitharan) or contrast (Winchilsea and Lara), while the long wall builds outward from the pairing of Vengsarkar and Kapil Dev either side of the central doors, achieving a pleasing symmetry which culminates in the Andy Pankhurst portraits of Michael Atherton and Alec Stewart above the doors. The resulting hang is a success both in aesthetic terms and in offering a welcome to visitors from across the cricket-loving world.

On International Women’s Day, the Long Room hosted a day-long symposium dedicated to the Evolution of Women’s Cricket exhibition, which continued its run in the MCC Museum throughout the year. The event

the historical scope of the Club’s Collection and the achievements of great cricketers from all over the world. The display was the result of collaborative work between the executive and non-executive arms of Heritage & Collections: scale elevations of the Long Room walls were printed out, with the principal paintings in the Collection reproduced at the same scale,

featured leading figures from women’s cricket and was attended by 155 guests, who engaged in discussion and debate around challenging topics. Dr. Raf Nicholson presented on her book Ladies and Lord’s; Isabelle Duncan hosted a panel discussion featuring former England captains and changemakers; and Chair of Cricket Claire Taylor led a Q&A session on

the future of the women’s game in England, alongside current players and administrators. The day also offered attendees an opportunity to visit the exhibition and is likely to form the template for future events tied in with major Museum exhibitions.

Our first new exhibition since the pandemic opened in October. Timed to coincide with Black History Month, England’s Black Cricketers features all 21 cricketers from an AfricanCaribbean background to have represented England. Individual portraits of the cricketers

central role in the exhibition A Voyage in Italy: Louis Gauffier, which opened at the Museé Fabre in Montpelier in April and transferred to the Museé Poitiers. The exhibition explored the life and work of Gauffier, a prominent artist of the late 18th century, whom Hope met in Rome and regularly thereafter. Hope hung Gauffier’s paintings in The Egyptian Room at his home in Marylebone, a room lovingly recreated by the exhibition designers. The exhibition also featured loans from the National Portrait Gallery, The Uffizi Gallery and

by leading photographer Tom Shaw feature alongside personal memorabilia from the likes of Roland Butcher and Jofra Archer. An accompanying documentary video, hosted by Mark Butcher, is also included in the exhibition by kind permission of Sky Sports. The exhibition will continue throughout 2023 France is not always thought of as a cricketing destination, but one of the finest paintings in MCC’s Collections, Thomas Hope of Amsterdam Playing Cricket with his Friends by Jacques Sablet, paid an extended visit to that country in 2022. The painting played a

The Louvre. Thomas Hope will return to the Pavilion at Lord’s this spring. Towards the end of the year, we hosted the first of what is hoped will become regular Community Art Workshops in the Pavilion. British-Pakistani artist Amina Ansari led the session, which encouraged a mixture of invited guests and paid ticket-holders to engage creatively with the Pavilion and the artworks on display. The “open to all” event was fully booked and feedback was uniformly positive. Further sessions in a variety of formats are planned for 2023

ESTATES

COMMITTEE

A.J. Johnston (4/4) Chair

R.H. Baldwin (1/4)

K.J. Bradford (4/4)

M.D. Haigh (4/4)

C.R.G. Human (1/ 1)

T.S. Prabu (1/ 1)

A.D.W. Price (3/4)

M.N. Sanderson (3/4)

S.T.K. Singla (1/ 1)

A.P. Subba Row (4/4)

S. Taylor-Davies (4/4)

S.A. Walker (1/ 1)

R.J. Ebdon Secretary

2021-22

The following individuals retired or stood down from the Estates committee in 2021:

L.M. Austin (3/3)

T.D.J. Marshal (1/ 1)

P.G. Wilbraham (2/3)

D.C. Brooks Wilson (2/3)

New Estates Manager Jason Court will be known to many Members from his role as Pavilion Operations Manager since 2016. His background in property combined with his strong knowledge of the Club made him the outstanding candidate to lead the well qualified engineers that make up the new Estates team. The department’s knowledge and experience of running Building Management Systems and the modern building services kit found in our new Warner, Compton and Edrich stands is paying dividends in driving down energy consumption and therefore cost and the Club’s carbon footprint. Between October and December alone, the Club reduced its energy consumption by around 47,000 kilowatt hours and the Estates Department has been tasked with finding c.15% of energy savings in 2023

Having completed the refurbishment of No.6 Grove End Road and found a shortterm tenant by spring, the Club was in a good position to acquire the house at No.2 Grove End Road at the end of March. Plans were drawn up for refurbishing the latter to a similar standard and specification as the former and works were completed by Christmas, ready to be tenanted in the New Year.

Re-roofing slate works to the Memorial Block covering the Real Tennis Court and the Museum were completed in the spring of 2022

An audit of the Public Address systems around the Ground and in the Long Room was conducted by an independent consultant throughout the year. The review’s recommendations are being implemented in full and a new Long Room PA system will be in operation before the first major match of 2023. Recommended adjustments to the external speakers around the stands will also be made ahead of the 2023 season to ensure our PA system fulfils our ambition to be the finest of cricket grounds.

Office space in the Pavilion basement, vacated by the Club’s Membership staff at the end of 2021, was converted into a Multi-Faith Centre, providing a prayer room and spaces for private reflection for all faiths. The area accommodates a Changing Spaces Room, prayer washing facilities and a communal break-out rest area with a kitchenette in

addition to a worship space which can be divided into different faith areas by heavy curtains. The new facilities were officially opened in June, on the first day of the New Zealand Test match, by a delegation of VIP faith leaders, headed by His Eminence Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster. The new Heyhoe Flint Gates and bas-relief to the memory of Baroness Heyhoe Flint were completed in July and now adorn what was the East Gate entrance in St. John’s Wood Road.

They were officially opened by MCC President Clare Connor and Ben Flint on the second day of the South Africa Men's Test match. At the start of the year, the Club sought planning permission from Westminster City Council to replace the Allen Stand scoreboard. First installed in 2007, reliability was becoming a growing issue each year and its display did not bear favourable comparison with those most recently installed in the new Compton and Edrich stands. The single Allen Stand scoreboard is being replaced with a new double-width version that will display the score constantly on the right-hand side of the screen (nearest the Pavilion) and show replays on the left-hand side. It will also offer greater visibility and choice for those sitting in the Warner Stand. Work commenced on site in October for this £1m project, which is on schedule for completion by the start of the 2023 season.

A £2 4m refurbishment of the Mound Stand Suites and washrooms on the mezzanine level got underway in the autumn. A number of suites have had dividing walls removed to create larger hospitality spaces and the whole look and feel of these areas has been raised and modernised to meet the expectations of the Club’s hospitality guests in 2023

ECB’s Business of Cricket Awards (BOCA) recognise and reward First-Class Counties and MCC for demonstrating influence, insight and innovation. The Club decided to submit an award entry for the Compton and Edrich stands in the category “Best Development or New Facility 2020-22”. MCC was presented with the award in November at a ceremony in Manchester, having won against stiff opposition from Surrey CCC. The judges’ citation stated:

“Marylebone Cricket Club won the Best Development of New Facility award for the Compton and Edrich stands which, as well as providing better viewing for fans, featured sustainability initiatives which include being heated and cooled entirely from renewable energy and green walls made up of 12 ,000 plants to provide wildlife habitats to help reduce the venue’s urban heat island effect.”

Towards the end of the year, alterations and enlargements of the Catering Department offices commenced. We replaced the cycle racks in No.6 Car Park with safer to use alternatives and work began on external re-decorations to the Pavilion – all aimed at ensuring that the Lord’s estate is looking at its very best for a double-Ashes year.

SUSTAINABILITY

Following publication of our Environmental, Social and Governance Report, supported by a dedicated Sustainability Strategy, we have been working to deliver our strategic targets.

The development of a Travel Plan Monitoring Report was a condition set by Westminster City Council when granting planning permission to redevelop the Compton and Edrich stands. Spectator and staff surveys conducted in 2022 showed that, encouragingly, 83% of spectators (2018: 67%) and 89% of staff visit the Ground by sustainable modes of transport.

Chief Executive Guy Lavender and Estates Director Robert Ebdon delivered presentations and sat on sustainability-focused panels, promoting our work in this area and increasing our sustainability profile. In March, Robert presentated on sustainability at Lord’s to ECB and all the First-Class Counties. At the UN-led Sport for Nature Summit in November, hosted at Lord’s, Guy joined representatives from the UN, Chelsea FC and the All England Club to form a panel to discuss how sport could lead the way in tackling climate change and promoting biodiversity. In December, Robert participated a panel at the Stadium Business Design & Development Summit.

Water consumption was 48,732m3 in 2022 (an increase of 76% from 2021), attributable to the return to full spectator capacity, additional facilities in the Compton and Edrich stands and the summer heatwave. During the season, visitors continued to make use of our reusable cup scheme and refilled their own water bottles at the 30 stations around the Ground. This has contributed to a further reduction in single-use plastics and the Club has not sent any waste to landfill sites since 2010

A Sustainable Sourcing Code has been developed, which will now be embedded in our procurement processes. The Code sets out the required and expected sustainability standards for all newly contracted suppliers and partners.

MCC is now a fully ratified member of the UN Sports For Climate Action Framework – a significant sustainability achievement. This initiative aims to help sporting organisations reduce operational emissions and leverage the power of sport to address the climate crisis. MCC has committed to a 50% reduction in carbon by 2030 (using 2022 as a baseline) and Net Zero emissions by 2040. We are one of three cricket clubs in the world to have signed up for the UN initiative.

To achieve a baseline for our energy and carbon footprint, we commissioned a consultant to develop a Streamlined Energy and Carbon Report (SECR). The table below illustrates the headline figures from the report. It presents MCC’s carbon footprint for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions based on SECR legislation, an appropriate intensity metric, and the total energy use of electricity and gas in 2022

MCC's energy and carbon footprint for 2022 stood at 6,491 86 MWh for all scopes, equating to 319 18 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). The total tCO2e, calculated using

Government-approved conversion factors, is made up of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. As we purchase electricity from a wind farm in the Irish Sea, the emissions from Scope 2 are removed from the total tCO2e figure. We are also working on energy efficiency measures and exploring options to reduce scope 1 gas emissions. A figure for intensity turnover per £m defines our emissions data in relation to tCO2e per sales revenue. The intensity turnover is a way of expressing and comparing yearly emissions with a traditional business metric – in this case, revenue.

The Scope 3 total given in the table does not include every category that falls under this scope. The Greenhouse Gas Protocol defines 15 categories of Scope 3, which includes emissions both upstream and downstream of the Club’s activities. These emissions, also referred to

as value chain emissions, often represent the majority of an organisation’s GHG emissions. As we have only recently started assessing our carbon footprint, we – along with many other organisations – have yet to understand Scope 3 fully. A Net Zero Strategy, currently under development, has been commissioned to enable this. It will outline how MCC intends to achieve its carbon neutrality objectives.

ACCESSIBILITY

Our Accessibility Group meets quarterly to share ideas and suggestions for improving accessibility around the Ground.

basement. This larger accessible toilet is for severely disabled people and contains equipment such as hoists, shower facilities and curtains, adult-sized changing benches, and space for carers.

In September, we partnered with technology start-up Picturepath to help visitors with special educational needs navigate Lord’s. The free Picturepath app allows visitors to create bespoke visual timelines using images from around the Ground. This enables them to see, plan and prepare for each stage of their visit. The app aims to reduce sensory stress and anxiety and to create a welcoming and inclusive experience.

Further accessible toilets were introduced across the Ground in 2022, including the new Changing Places facility in the Pavilion

The Club produced a short film for Disability History Month to highlight the progress we have made with accessibility requirements over recent years. Promoted on our social media channels, the film included interviews with members of our Accessibility Group.

COMMITTEE

B.N. Carnegie-Brown (5/5) Chair

A.S. Lowenthal (5/5)

H.J.P. Chetwood (5/5)

A.K. Pearce Higgins (5/5)

J.T.C Kendall (4/5)

A.B. Elgood (5/5)

W.J. House (4/5)

G.W. Lavender Secretary

*C.M. McCallum joined the Nominations committee on 1 January 2023, following the retirement of W.J. House on 31 December 2022

MCC NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

The Nominations committee (“Nomco”) was formally codified within the Rules of the Club as part of the new governance structure approved by Members in October 2020 Nomco was accordingly set up thereafter and started meeting in May 2021. With these arrangements now firmly established within the Club, it was felt Members would welcome the inclusion of this new section of the Annual Report.

The most important task for 2022 was to submit recommendations to the membership for the appointment of three new members of the MCC Committee. These appointments coincided with the need to find a successor to Sir Ian Magee as Chair of M&GP. Hence, the MCC Committee asked Nomco to

conduct a recruitment process and make a recommendation for this important role. Due attention was paid to ensuring that all new Committee members demonstrate a breadth of skills to ensure the Committee as a whole has the skills required by the Club. Nomco also had regard to ECB’s 12-point Equity, Diversity

and Inclusion pledge, which includes targets for governance diversity and to which MCC is committed alongside the First-Class Counties.

Nomco received 27 applications and interviewed six candidates. This process resulted in Arfan Akram, Michael McLintock and Cora McCallum being recommended for appointment to the MCC Committee and Vicky Griffiths as Chair of M&GP. All four were approved by Members at the 2022 AGM.

We also reviewed recommendations for new members of the Club’s Principal committees, as part of a process led by the Chairs of each of those committees, and recommendations for Honorary Life Members.

NOMCO’S PURPOSE IS SET OUT IN RULE 16.2, WHICH STATES THAT IT SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:

• choosing for approval by the Club in General Meeting such candidates to serve on the MCC Committee with effect from and after 1 October 2022 as it considers suitable to do so in accordance with any strategic plans and/or relevant policies of the Club which have been adopted by the MCC Committee up to the number of vacancies on the MCC Committee;

• assisting, liaising with and advising the MCC Committee on the appointment of such persons whom the MCC Committee is empowered or required to appoint pursuant to these Rules and in particular the appointment of the Club Chair from time to time; and

• such other tasks or responsibilities as are allocated to it, with its agreement, from time to time by the MCC Committee.

Given the terms of the appointments of Nomco’s elected members in the initial setting-up phase, Harry Chetwood’s one-year term expired during 2022. Nomco managed the process of inviting applicants to stand for election to Nomco and, from a field of five, Harry was re-elected to serve a three-year term.

The Treasurer, Tony Elgood, will reach the end of his second term in the post on 30 September 2023. Nomco was asked to manage the process of reviewing and evaluating applicants for this important role

overseeing the Club’s finances. We received nine applications, all of which were reviewed in detail, followed by interviews with a shortlist of qualified candidates. The Committee received our unanimous recommendation and Members will accordingly be asked to approve the appointment of Chris Rogers as our next Treasurer at the 2023 AGM.

One challenge levelled at Committee appointments is the so-called “revolving door”; with a view that the same names appear on the AGM agenda for appointment to the Committee having served on other committees at the Club. Nomco’s response to this challenge is that our committees need members not only with the right set of skills, but also experience of MCC matters to understand the relevant context for decisions. We have discussed this challenge at length and have worked hard to ensure that both experience and fresh ideas are considered when recommending appointments.

The second challenge has been in relation to re-appointing Chairs of Principal committees for a second three-year term. Nomco’s view is that a second three-year term should be the norm, to maintain an appropriate level of continuity.

In order to inform recommendations for members of the Committee and Principal committees, Nomco is considering future succession planning as various key committee roles come up for appointment or re-appointment. Further, the Committee has asked Nomco to work on recommendations for any future Assistant Secretary (now known as Director) appointments, meaning we will also be devoting time to succession planning for the senior executive team.

Finally, we recognise the importance of our responsibility to work proactively with the membership as a whole to encourage Members, particularly those who have not served on any of the Club’s committees, to put their names forward for such positions.

DISCIPLINARY PANEL

The Disciplinary Panel operates within the framework of the Club Rules and most particularly with reference to the Club’s Code of Conduct, which sets out the high standards of conduct to which Members are expected to aspire.

Cricket

CODE OF CONDUCT

Following his appointment as Chair of MCC’s Disciplinary Panel in the summer of 2021, Mark Milliken-Smith, kc undertook a review of the Club’s disciplinary procedures. The focus of this work was to ensure that the Club maintains a process which is fair, independent, and resilient.

For example, the Disciplinary Regulations have now been amended to reduce the requirement for Disciplinary Panellists to have been Full Members from five years to two. This in particular enables a far greater pool of female Members to sit, ensuring that all Panels are properly able to represent the membership.

Moreover, in order to ensure that Members are fully informed about the Club’s expectations as to conduct, the Club now has in place Penalties Guidance which explains the likely penalties which might flow from a breach of the Code of Conduct.

Throughout the course of the year, the Disciplinary Panel dealt with a number of Member-related disciplinary matters. Incidents were reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Disciplinary Panel Chair, with Disciplinary Panels formed where appropriate. The table below sets out a summary of those cases considered within the process in 2022, together with the sanctions imposed. It is not a complete record of all matters considered by the Disciplinary Panel, as the disclosure of any details in some cases risks infringing on the confidentiality of such proceedings as between the Club and the Member. An email address, membersdisciplinary@mcc.org.uk, is in operation for Members to report matters in confidence. It is monitored only by those staff with specific responsibility to assist the Disciplinary Chair with the administration of the Club’s Disciplinary Regulations.

owes much of its appeal and enjoyment to the fact that it should be played not only according to the Laws, but also within the Spirit of Cricket. Respect is central to the Spirit of Cricket. Cricket is an exciting game that encourages leadership, friendship and teamwork, which brings together people from different nationalities, cultures and religions. In the same way, MCC expects that Members respect and support each other, the Club, Lord’s and all who visit or work there. Any conduct demonstrating a failure to show respect, including abusive, discriminatory or inappropriate behaviour or language, will be considered a breach of the Rules of the Club and render a Member liable to expulsion or suspension from the Club as provided by Rule 6 of the Rules of the Club.

FINANCE

With pandemic-related lockdown restrictions easing at the start of the year the Club was able to enjoy its first full season of cricket since 2019. Financially, despite the first Test match taking place over the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend and with transport strikes affecting fixtures during the season, the Club has delivered a strong performance. It was the first season with unrestricted capacities for both The Hundred and T20 Blast tournaments, which also saw a well-attended England v. India Women’s One-Day International hosted at Lord’s in September.

The financial highlights of 2022 were:

(a) income of £59 2m – an increase of 26% (2021: £47 0m);

(b) an operating surplus before depreciation and non-recurring items of £10 1m – an increase of 19% (2021: £8 5m);

(c) a surplus before tax of £2 9m – a decrease of 74% (2021: £11 2m);

(d) net cash inflow from operating activities of £16 7m (2021: £7 2m);

(e) total capital expenditure of £11 0m (2021: £10 9m);

(f) gross Debenture sales proceeds net of redemptions of £6 0m (2021: £3 1m), and

(g) closing liquid funds of £47 8m (2021: £36 5m).

The significant decrease in surplus before tax reflects the £7.7m of exceptional income in the prior year relating to Life Memberships and an increase in the depreciation charge of £1.6m following the completion of the Compton and Edrich stands.

Early finishes to both Test matches coupled with lower ticket sales and higher labour costs for the first Test resulted in a financial performance below expectations, though the successful Men’s ODI against India made up for some of the shortfall. T20 Blast attendances were lower than pre-Covid due to an early and compressed schedule with demand suppressed following a move to more home working.

On the commercial side, the year began slowly as the country emerged from the pandemic, particularly for Tours of Lord’s and

Events & Experiences, with activity picking up to end the year at pre-Covid levels.

Cost control continued to be a focus as inflationary pressures began to be felt. In particular energy costs escalated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and in 2022 were over twice 2019 levels and are projected to double again in 2023. The Club also faces staff recruitment and retention challenges and, in response, implemented the outcome of a comprehensive salary benchmarking exercise at the end of the year.

In April, and following extensive planning and consultation, the Club closed its Pension Scheme to future accrual with staff moving to a defined contribution-only Master Trust Scheme managed by Aviva. In January 2023 defined contribution assets from the legacy Scheme were transferred to members’ accounts in the Master Trust. It is worth drawing attention to the annual update in the valuation of the defined benefit pension scheme which, mainly due to higher corporate bond yields, has moved from a deficit to a surplus.

During the year the MCC Committee took the decision to invest the £10 6m Designated Fund, which was the excess of Life Membership proceeds above the £15m target set in 2020. The Club purchased and refurbished No. 2 Grove End Road at a cost of £7 1m including stamp duty, and appointed Sarasin and Partners to manage the remaining £3 5m in a balanced investment portfolio. The £3 5m was transferred in early 2023 once final documents had been signed. No. 2 Grove End

COMMITTEE

A.B. Elgood (4/4)

Treasurer

J.P.M. Bowtell (4/4)

F.M. Dillingham (4/4)

O. Faruqui (2/2)

P.A. Filer (4/4)

Viscount Mackintosh of Halifax (4/4)

P.G.C. Mallinson (4/4)

C.M. McCallum (3/4)

C.C.B. Rogers (4/4)

C.J. Satterthwaite (2/4)

A.J.H. Stewart (3/4)

C.E. Woodman (2/2)

A.D. Cameron Secretary

2021-22

The following individuals retired from the Finance committee in 2022:

V.K. Griffiths (1/2)

Lord Tyrie (2/2)

Road is expected be leased from early 2023, with tenants having now occupied No. 6 Grove End Road since April 2022.

The Club had all three Grove End Road investment properties independently valued at the end of the year. No. 2 was valued at £6 3m, in line with the purchase price and spend on refurbishment, with just the stamp duty charged to the Income and Expenditure Account as a non-recurring item. The values of Nos. 6 and 12 increased in aggregate by £0 9m with the improved valuation credited to the revaluation reserve.

Capital expenditure in the year totalled £11 0m, including £6.3m spent on No. 2 Grove End Road. Of the balance of £4.7m, the major spend in the year included starting on the refurbishment of the Mound Stand Suites (£1 1m) and the replacement of the Allen Stand scoreboard (£0 5m). In addition, two projects from 2021 were completed: the refurbishment of No. 6 Grove End Road (£0 3m) and the Heyhoe Flint Gate (£0 1m). Also worth mentioning are the repairs to the Tennis Court Roof (£0 2m) and the installation of a Multi-Faith area and Changing Places facility in

the Pavilion basement (£0 2m). A final retention payment of £0 7m to the main contractor due in September following completion of snagging works in the Compton and Edrich stands is now expected to be paid in the first half of 2023

In the summer the Club went on sale with Debenture seats with rights for the 2023-26 seasons. By the end of the year the total number of seats sold or renewed was 778, in addition to the 1,058 seats with active rights from previous sales. Gross Debenture proceeds in the year totalled £6 0m.

At the end of 2022, cash balances totalled £47 8m (2021: £36 5m), and a summary of movements in liquid funds is shown in the table below.

£12 4m is a more accurate reflection of surplus cash at the year end as £35 4m relates to monies received in advance for 2023 and beyond. The £35 4m is made up of £15 9m relating to the balance of the sale of Life Memberships, £9 7m relating to net cash received for tickets for the 2023 season and £9 8m previously banked from Debenture sales with rights for years beyond 2022 Looking forward, the economic outlook remains challenging, given high inflation and pressure on people’s disposable income. These factors will undoubtedly put the Club’s margins under pressure. However, the Club remains in a strong financial position

enabling it to plan with confidence the redevelopment of the Tavern and Allen stands. This is the final Finance report and set of Accounts prepared under the Treasurership of Tony Elgood. We are greatly indebted to him for his financial stewardship of the Club, in a period when MCC had to weather almost unprecedented headwinds, and for so much besides – notably his eye (and appetite) for detail.

If you have any questions on the Club’s Accounts before the AGM, please direct these to Tony (treasurer@mcc.org.uk) or to the Assitant Secretary (Finance), Alastair Cameron (alastair.cameron@mcc.org.uk).

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

ACCOUNT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

The notes on pages 59 to 64 form part of these Accounts.

BALANCE SHEET AT 31 DECEMBER 2022

These Accounts were approved by the MCC Committee on 8 March 2023

The notes on pages 59 to 64 form part of these Accounts.

CASH-FLOW STATEMENT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

1 ACCOUNTING POLICIES Basis of Preparation

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

The Accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention. Certain fixed assets are held under the revaluation model. The Accounts have been prepared on the going concern basis and in accordance with the Club's accounting policies and Club Rule 13 5 The Club's accounting policies largely follow accounting standard FRS102, except for certain areas where the added complexity and detail needed to adopt is not considered sufficiently beneficial.

Accounting Estimates and Judgements

In applying its accounting policies, the Club is required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The following estimates and assumptions have a significant risk of causing a fair value adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities:

Investment Properties

The Club carries three investment properties including a property subject to a lease at fair value. The properties are valued by a directors' valuation or an external professional valuation at least every three years on an open market basis, primarily using comparable open market sales transactions and market rents from published data and information from other agents and valuers. The fair values are highly sensitive to the circumstances and market conditions at the date of valuation. The carrying amounts of the properties are referred to in note 12

Going Concern

The Club has prepared cash-flow forecasts for the period to 31 March 2024 which indicate that, taking account of reasonable possible downsides, the Club will have sufficient funds to meet its liabilities as they fall due for that period.

Among others, the reasonable possible downsides considered by the Club have included the impact of rising energy costs and rising inflation on operating margins.

Specifically, the Club has also considered severe but plausible downsides in preparing forecasts which includes additional sensitivities including but not limited to:

• the 2023 Australia Test match finishing early within three days of play;

• the 2023 Australia Test match being rained off with no play at all possible.

These severe but plausible downsides indicate that, even taking these potential adverse scenarios into account, the Club will have sufficient funds to meet its liabilities as they fall due over the forecast period. As a result of this assessment, the Club considers it remains appropriate to continue to apply the going concern basis of accounting for the preparation of these financial statements.

Group Accounts

The Club has presented full group non-statutory Accounts which include MCC Overseas Limited and has opted not to present separate parent company Accounts.

Income

Subscription income and entrance fees are recognised in the calendar year of membership to which the income relates. Match receipts and catering and hospitality income are recognised in the year in which the match or event takes place and any fees or income received in advance before the year end are treated as deferred income. Rental income is recognised in the year received. All other income, including revenue grants, is recognised in the year in which the obligation takes place. All income, where appropriate, is stated net of Value Added Tax.

Non-Recurring Items

The Club presents certain non-recurring items separately on the Income and Expenditure Account. Items are disclosed

by virtue of their nature or size in order to obtain a clear and consistent presentation of the Club's underlying performance. Items that have been classified as non-recurring in the year are disclosed in note 9

Tangible and Intangible Assets

Lord's Ground is included in freehold land and property at a nominal value of £1 for assets which were held at 31 December 1965 Additions subsequent to 31 December 1965 are stated at cost, less depreciation, impairment and capital grants received where applicable. Any stamp land duty tax payable on the acquisition of property is expensed to the Income and Expenditure Account. Material capital grants received are held on the Balance Sheet as a liability within deferred income and released to the Income and Expenditure Account as income over the useful economic life of the asset.

Tangible assets include three investment properties including a property subject to a lease, which are valued based on a directors' valuation or an external professional valuation at least every three years. Gains on transfer or revaluation are recognised in the revaluation reserve. Losses are recognised in the revaluation reserve up to the point the revaluation reserve is eliminated. Further losses are charged as impairment to the Income and Expenditure Account. Plant and equipment assets also include certain intangibles such as website and software assets.

No depreciation is provided on freehold land. Depreciation is provided on a straight line basis on assets at rates calculated to write off the cost, less the estimated residual value, of each asset over its expected useful life, as follows:

Freehold Land – no depreciation

Investment Properties – no depreciation

Freehold Property – between 5 and 50 years

Plant and Equipment – between 3 and 10 years

Website and Software – between 3 and 5 years

Debtors and Creditors

Debtors on advance sales, Trade and Other Debtors are initially recognised at transaction price less any attributable transaction costs. Trade and Other Creditors are initially recognised at transaction price plus any attributable transaction costs.

Investments

Investments are classified as either long-term investments in fixed assets or short-term investments in current assets.

Both long-term investments, which are listed on a recognised Stock Exchange, and short-term investments are valued at the lower of cost and the mid-market value at the Balance Sheet date.

Stocks

Stocks held for resale are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.

Debentures

Debenture loans are recognised at historical cost, not at the present value of future payments discounted at a market rate of interest, and therefore subsequently are not stated at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any impairment losses. Debenture premiums and issue costs are released to the Income and Expenditure Account over the life of the rights.

Deferred Taxation

The Club does not account for deferred taxation.

Heritage and Collections

Expenditure on acquisitions of cricket and real tennis memorabilia is charged to the Income and Expenditure Account.

Pension Scheme

The Hybrid Scheme comprising a defined benefit element and a defined contribution element was closed to new entrants from 31 January 2022 and closed to the future accrual of benefits for all active members from 31 March 2022

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

The Club does not account for the defined benefit pension Scheme assets and liabilities on its Balance Sheet. The assets of the Scheme are held separately from those of the Club. Since the two closure dates of the Hybrid Scheme and as at 31 December 2022, the Club now operates a defined contribution only Scheme under a Master Trust arrangement with Aviva. The rate at which Scheme members choose to contribute determines the Club's level of contribution. All members are enrolled in the default salary sacrifice option unless they decide otherwise.

Long-Term Deferred Income

Deferred income includes the relevant annual subscriptions for Life Membership which are not repayable and are being credited to the Income and Expenditure Account at the rate equivalent to the annual subscription each year.

Candidates' registration fees are shown in long-term deferred income as amounts received in advance. They are credited to the Income and Expenditure Account in the year in which Candidates are elected as Members.

Father Time Wall plaque sales are credited to the Income and Expenditure Account over an expected life of ten years after installation of each plaque.

Related Parties

The Club does not maintain a formal listing of related parties. In line with Club Rule 26 1, Committee members are required to selfdeclare any interests.

In 2022, MCC was covered by an insurance scheme operated by ECB for major match ticketing income. Per the staging agreement, ECB reimburses MCC and then MCC processes all ticketing refund payments due to customers. ECB has confirmed that this arrangement will continue in 2023

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

The prior year costs of salaries and wages include any payments made to staff who were placed on furlough in the year and exclude any grants received from the government as part of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (see note 5).

The costs of salaries and wages not relating to administration are charged directly to each of the Club's activities individually. The Club made a special pension payment of £ 554 000 (2021 : £ 1 , 254,000) as part of a plan to reduce the pension scheme deficit (see note 22).

A Government business rates discount of 66% was applied between January and March 202 2 . No business rates were payable between January and June 2021 and the 66% discount was also applied between July and December 2021

The total cost of salaries and wages of the Club, excluding any grants received from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, was as follows:

During a regular cricket season, the Club employs a significant number of casual workers. The total number of individuals on the payroll, including permanent workers, peaked at 1,085 during the year (2021 peak: 1 008).

The number of permanent and fixed-term contract workers who received salaries and bonuses (excluding pension contributions or payments in lieu thereof and excluding any grants received from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme) in the following ranges were:

The non-recurring item in the year relates to the stamp duty and land tax payable to HMRC on the purchase of No. 2 Grove End Road (see note 12). The prior year item relates to entrance fees income for 2021 from the sale of new Life Memberships in 2020

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

10 INTEREST RECEIVABLE, INVESTMENT INCOME, DEBENTURE AMORTISATION AND CHARGES

The Club spent £ 11 ,028,000 on additions, of which £ 729,000 was spent on Compton and Edrich stands construction and £65 000 on Tavern and Allen stands fees. A further £3 631 000 was spent on other Estates projects and minor capital expenditure.

The carrying value of No. 6 Grove End Road at £4 142 000 has been transferred into Investment Properties in the year following its change of use.

£ 5,720,000 was spent on the acquisition of No. 2 Grove End Road as an Investment Property, £579 00 0 on its refurbishment and a further £ 304 000 on completing the refurbishment of No. 6 Grove End Road.

No. 2 Grove End Road was valued externally at £6 300 000 as at 31 December 2022, versus a carrying value of £6 299 00 0. The increase in valuation of £ 1 000 has been reflected through the revaluation reserve (see note 20).

Bank charges include £21,000 (2021: £28,000) of non-utilisation fees relating to the Club's £7 5m credit facility with Lloyds Bank which was cancelled without penalty on 29 September 2022

11 TAXATION

An increase in the UK corporation rate from 19% to 25% (effective 1 April 2023) was substantively enacted on 24 May 2021

12 TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

No. 6 Grove End Road was valued externally at £4 900 0 00 as at 31 December 2022, versus a carrying value of £4 446 000. The increase in valuation of £454 000 has been reflected through the revaluation reserve (see note 20).

No. 12 Grove End Road was valued externally at £4 400 000 as at 31 December 2022, versus a carrying value of £3 960 000 The increase in valuation of £440,000 has been reflected through the revaluation reserve (see note 20).

No. 4 Grove Road, which is an operational asset as at 31 December 2022, has been tested for impairment. No impairment has been required to be recognised in the year.

£ 1 663 000 of assets with a zero net book value and no longer in use within the Club have also been processed as disposals.

13 INVESTMENTS

Fixed Asset Investments:

All dividend income is reinvested in the sinking fund with the aim of delivering long-term capital growth sufficient to repay Debenture loans in full when they fall due in the future (see note 17). Cash injections to the fund of £ 318 000 were made in the year. Cash transfers are made every June and December each year equating to 5 7 % of the increase in the Debenture loan amounts over the preceding six months.

The market value of the investment fund as at 31 December 2022 was £ 3 922 000 (2021 : £4 269 000) and there is an estimated unrealised Capital Gains Tax liability of £ 250 000 which would become payable if the investments were sold.

14

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

Debenture. Rights range from two to eight years.

£ 21 000 of issue costs (2021 : £ 15 000) for new Debentures have been incurred in the year and £ 14,000 of deferred issue costs have been amortised in 2022 (2021 : £ 1 1 ,000). £ 180,000 of premium (2021: £ 1 66,000) has been recognised in Other income in 2022 , while £180 000 (2021 : £ 180 000) has been included within Creditors falling due within one year (being the amount to be released in 2023). The balance of the Debenture is treated as an interest-free loan to the Club for development of the Ground and facilities.

Retail stock is shown after deducting a provision of £ 20,000 (2021 : £ 75,000) for slow-moving and potentially obsolete stock. Stock for Tennis and Squash and Heritage and Collections relates to stock purchased for resale, net of a provision of £ 5 000 (2021 : £ 5 000).

15

FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR

ComptonandEdrichDebentures GoldDebentures SilverDebentures BronzeDebentures DeferredDebentureissuecosts Total

These loans become payable 75 years after the issue date. The first year that any loans will become repayable is 2082 . The loan liabilities are recorded at face value in accordance with the public benefit entity concessionary loan treatment provided for under FRS 102 In order to ensure that the Club can repay the Debenture loans in the future, a sinking fund was set up in 2009 (see note 13).

Total Debentures with active rights issued as at the year end numbered 1 ,836 (2021 : 2 ,020). A total of £ 5,988,000 (2021 : £ 3,068,000) was raised during the year from new sales less redemptions, including loans and premiums and before costs.

18 LONG-TERM DEFERRED INCOME

The Debenture schemes have been categorised into Compton and Edrich, Gold, Silver or Bronze, with the price varying dependent on the length and extent of rights related to that

1 9 GENERAL FUND

21 CAPITAL COMMITMENTS

The Club had the following capital commitments as at 31 December: Capital

but not provided for in the Accounts

22 PENSION SCHEME

Defined Benefit:

The Scheme was closed to new members from 31 January 2022 and closed to the future accrual of benefits to active members from 31 March 2022 The gross normal pension contributions made to the Scheme by the Club during the year were £283,000 (2021: £711 000), based on the attained age funding method,

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

as advised by the actuary as being the most appropriate to spread the cost of pensions over the working lives of the Club's employees. The Club made special contribution payments to the Scheme of £554 000 during the year (2021: £1 254 000) as part of the plan agreed with the Pension Scheme Trustees to eliminate the Pension Scheme actuarial deficit. The Club has an obligation to pay the following special contributions:

2023 to 2031 £254 000 per annum

2023 to 2028 An additional £300,000 per annum

FRS 102 valuation as at 31 December 2022 : For disclosure purposes only, the Club commissioned a valuation under FRS102 which shows a surplus of £6 3m (2021: deficit £11 8m). The movement in valuation of £18 1m is outlined below and is primarily caused by a change in the discount rate used to calculate the Scheme's liabilities based on bond yields.

24 RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Clare Connor became interim CEO of ECB in June 2022 whilst also serving in her role as MCC President until the end of September 2022.

MCC Overseas Limited was inactive in 2022

The Club transacts with the MCC Foundation, its charitable arm, resulting in related party purchases and sales between the two entities.

The key assumptions used in the FRS102 valuation are as follows:

RPI – at 3.2% per annum (2021: 3.2%) Pension increases in payment – to increase by 2 9.% (2021: 3 1%) Liabilities – discounted at 4.9% based on AA rated bonds (2021: 1.9%)

At 31 December 2022, the Scheme had assets of £37 6m (2021: £44 9m) and liabilities of £31 3m (2021: £56 7m).

Defined Contribution:

Contributions to the defined contribution accounts under the Hybrid Scheme until 31 March 2022 were £24 000 by members (2021: £157 000) and £59 000 by the Club (2021: £211 000).

Contributions to the new defined contribution only Scheme until 31 December 2022 were £294 000 by members and £661 000 by the Club. Employer contribution rates vary from 6% to 12% depending on contributions made by the member.

23

CASH-FLOW STATEMENT

Amounts

The Club also provided additional administrative services to the MCC Foundation, along with free use of office space, suite hire and IT support. These have been valued in kind at £116 000

25 SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

In January 2023, the defined contribution assets from the Hybrid Scheme were transferred to members’ accounts in the Master Trust.

In February 2023, the Club transferred £3,500,000 as the balance of the Designated Fund into a new investment portfolio.

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT TO MARYLEBONE CRICKET CLUB

OPINION

We have audited the Accounts of Marylebone Cricket Club (“the Club”) for the year ended 31 December 2022 which comprise the Income and Expenditure Account, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement and related notes, including the accounting policies in note 1

In our opinion the Accounts of the Club for the year ended 31 December 2022 have been properly prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the special purpose basis of preparation set out in note 1 to the Accounts.

BASIS FOR OPINION

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”), including ISA (UK) 800, and the terms of our engagement letter dated 24 November 2022. Our responsibilities are described below. We have fulfilled our ethical responsibilities under, and are independent of the Club in accordance with, UK ethical requirements including the FRC Ethical Standard. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is a sufficient and appropriate basis for our opinion.

EMPHASIS OF MATTER – SPECIAL PURPOSE BASIS OF PREPARATION

We draw attention to note 1 to the Accounts, which describes their basis of preparation. As explained in that note, the Accounts are prepared to assist the Club in complying with the financial reporting provisions of Rule 13 5 of the Club’s Rules. As a result, the Accounts may not be suitable for another purpose. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

GOING CONCERN

The Committee has prepared the Accounts on the going concern basis as they do not intend to liquidate the Club or to cease its operations, and as they have concluded that the Club’s financial position means that this is realistic. It has also concluded that there are no material uncertainties that could have cast significant doubt over its ability to continue as a going concern for at least a year from the date of approval of the Accounts (“the going concern period”).

In our evaluation of the Committee’s conclusions, we considered the inherent risks to the Club’s business model and analysed how those risks might affect the Club’s financial resources or ability to continue operations over the going concern period.

Our conclusions based on this work:

· we consider that the Committee’s use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the Accounts is appropriate; we have not identified, and concur with the Committee’s assessment that there is not, a material uncertainty related to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Club's ability to continue as a going concern for the going concern period.

However, as we cannot predict all future events or conditions and as subsequent events may result in outcomes that are inconsistent with judgements that were reasonable at the time they were made, the above conclusions are not a guarantee that the Club will continue in operation.

FRAUD AND BREACHES OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS – ABILITY TO DETECT

Identifying and responding to risks of material misstatement due to fraud

To identify risks of material misstatement due to fraud (“fraud risks”) we assessed events or conditions that could indicate an incentive or pressure to commit fraud or provide an opportunity to commit fraud. Our risk assessment procedures included:

· Enquiring of the Club and inspection of policy documentation as to the Club’s high-level policies and procedures to prevent and detect fraud, as well as whether it has knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud. Reading committee meeting minutes.

Using analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships.

We communicated identified fraud risks throughout the audit team and remained alert to any indications of fraud throughout the audit.

As required by auditing standards, and taking into account our overall knowledge of the control environment, we perform procedures to address the risk of management override of controls and the risk that the Club’s management may be in a position to make inappropriate accounting entries. On this audit we do not believe there is a fraud risk related to revenue recognition because there is limited incentive to manipulate results and the opportunity for misappropriation of assets has reduced now that the Ground is cashless.

We did not identify any additional fraud risks.

We performed procedures including:

· Identifying journal entries to test based on risk criteria and comparing the identified entries to supporting documentation. These included those posted to unusual accounts.

Identifying and responding to risks of material misstatement related to compliance with laws and regulations

We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements from our general commercial and sector experience, through discussion with the Club’s management (as required by auditing standards), and discussed with the Club the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations.

We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit.

The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably.

The Club is subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements including financial reporting legislation and taxation legislation, and we assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items.

Whilst the Club is subject to many other laws and regulations, we did not identify any others where the consequences of non-compliance alone could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements.

Context of the ability of the audit to detect fraud or breaches of law or regulation.

Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some material misstatements in the financial statements, even though we have properly planned and performed our audit in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures required by auditing standards would identify it.

In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk of non-detection of fraud, as these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls. Our audit procedures are designed to detect material misstatement. We are not responsible for preventing non-compliance or fraud and cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all laws and regulations.

OTHER INFORMATION

The Committee is responsible for the other information, which comprises the other information presented in the Annual Report together with the Accounts. Our opinion on the Accounts does not cover the other information and, accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether, based on our Accounts audit work, the information therein is materially misstated or inconsistent with the Accounts or our audit knowledge. Based solely on that work, we have not identified material misstatements in the other information.

MARYLEBONE CRICKET CLUB COMMITTEE’S RESPONSIBILITIES

As explained more fully in their statement set out below, the Committee is responsible for: the preparation of the Accounts in accordance with the special purpose basis of preparation as set out in note 1 to the Accounts; determining that the basis of preparation is acceptable in the circumstances; such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of Accounts that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; assessing the Club’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern; and using the going concern basis of accounting unless they either intend to liquidate the Club or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

AUDITOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the Accounts as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue our opinion in an auditor’s report. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but does not guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of the Accounts.

A fuller description of our responsibilities is provided on the FRC’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities.

THE PURPOSE OF OUR AUDIT WORK AND TO WHOM WE OWE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Our report has been prepared for the Club solely in accordance with Rule 13 5 of the Club’s Rules. It has been released to the Club on the basis that our report shall not be copied, referred to or disclosed, in whole (save for the Club’s own internal purposes) or in part, without our prior written consent.

Our report was designed to meet the agreed requirements of the Club determined by the Club’s needs at the time. Our report should not therefore be regarded as suitable to be used or relied on by any party wishing to acquire rights against us other than the Club for any purpose or in any context. Any party other than the Club who obtains access to our report or a copy and chooses to rely on our report (or any part of it) will do so at its own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, KPMG LLP will accept no responsibility or liability in respect of our report to any other party.

Paul Barron, for and on behalf of KPMG LLP, Chartered Accountants, 15 Canada Square, London, E14 5GL

8 March 2023

STATEMENT OF MCC COMMITTEE’S RESPONSIBILITIES

The MCC Committee (‘the Committee) of Marylebone Cricket Club (‘the Club’) has accepted responsibility to prepare these Accounts for the year ending 31 December 2022 on the special purpose basis of preparation set out in note 1 to the Accounts.

In preparing these Accounts, the Committee has:

· determined that the basis of preparation is acceptable in the circumstances;

· selected suitable accounting policies and then applied them consistently;

· made judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

· assessed the Club’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern; and

· used the going concern basis of accounting unless they either intend to liquidate the Club or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

The Committee is responsible for such internal control as they determine is necessary to enable the preparation of Accounts that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and have general responsibility for taking such steps as are reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the Club and to prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

FIVE-YEAR RECORD

THE FIVE-YEAR RECORD DOES NOT FORM PART OF THE ACCOUNTS OF THE CLUB AND IS UNAUDITED

MINUTES OF THE 235 th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

HELD AT LORD'S ON WEDNESDAY 4 MAY 2022

PRESENT

Ms. C.J. Connor, President (in the Chair); 199 Members at Lord’s; 327 Members online

The President opened the Meeting at 15.00

and welcomed Members. She suggested that, before moving to the formal proceedings of the Meeting, it would be appropriate to remember the many Members who had passed away during the year. A minute’s silence was observed.

The Chief Executive & Secretary, Mr. G.W. Lavender (“the Secretary”) said that the Meeting would be recorded and a transcript produced. The Meeting was the first to be held in a hybrid format and confirmed that the Meeting was quorate with those in attendance in the room, meaning the Meeting at Lord’s would continue regardless of any technical difficulties experienced online. He reminded Members that all the agenda items that required a vote had been considered sufficiently important to justify the use of postal or online voting and added that Members would be able to vote until Monday 9 May.

1. The President’s Address, including the announcement of her successor

The President said that the honour of her role was beyond words and nominating her successor was a significant responsibility, for which she had considered four criteria. Above all else, the President must be someone with a deep love and care for the game of cricket and MCC. They should understand where cricket had been, where it was now and where it could be – and MCC’s role in that story; they should be somebody charitable, particularly in support of the transformative work of the MCC Foundation; and they should be a champion for a more diverse and inclusive sport and future, someone who would keep their foot down on the Club’s progressive agenda, both at home and overseas.

The President said that her successor more than met those four criteria. He was an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director. As a proudly out, gay man, he had advocated the rights of the LGBT community for over 30 years. He had been president of Mind, Britain’s largest mental health charity, since 2011 and an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In November 2021 he delivered an arresting, powerful and impassioned 20th Cowdrey Lecture. She was delighted to announce that the President Designate would be Stephen Fry.

The President Designate (Mr. S.J. Fry) thanked the President and said that it was the culmination of a lifetime of daring to dream that one day he would have a significant role in cricket. In his lifetime cricket had developed yet MCC had retained its history, heritage and eccentricity but also faced forward and understood the need for the game to develop. It was a great honour, and he undertook to attempt to follow his predecessor with diligence, energy and purpose.

The President continued with her Address, reflecting on how the Club had navigated the challenging environment since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. The skilful leadership of the Secretary and his staff had been impressive and warranted formal recognition at the AGM. Not only had the Executive steered the Club through two years of turbulence and uncertainty but they had also found the resilience and energy to drive new initiatives.

These had included the staging of new matches, in particular The Hundred, domestic cricket’s new competition, with Lord’s the leading venue in attracting more ethnically diverse fans. Lord’s had also

welcomed over 17,000 spectators for the women’s final of The Hundred, the highest attendance for a domestic women’s cricket match anywhere in the world.

MCC had published two important documents: an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report and an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Plan. The Club had diverse committees producing relevant policies, ensuring an ethical environment that offered equal opportunities to all and the President thanked Members for their patience and understanding as these important steps were taken.

The President said that she had visited the MCC Foundation’s pioneering cricket projects for Syrian refugees in refugee camps in Lebanon. Cricket as a tool for social cohesion provided hope and relief to these communities and, for women and girls in particular, the effect could be transformative, helping them to see a world of possibility and equality. This work was mirrored at Lord’s during the winter when the Club and Foundation joined forces to support newly-arrived Afghan refugees in London.

The President said she was now looking forward to a wonderful summer of cricket at Lord’s. On behalf of all Members, she offered thanks to the MCC Committee and Principal committees, to the Club Chair, Mr. Bruce Carnegie-Brown, and to the Secretary and his staff for their hard work and commitment to the Club. In addition, she thanked Members for their support and encouragement, which was greatly appreciated.

Concluding her Address, the President referred to the Club’s first large-scale online survey of Members, conducted in November 2021 and completed by one in four Members. Asked which word Members most wanted to be associated with MCC, the majority chose “welcoming”. In a summer which promised to see a record number of new visitors to Lord’s, she looked forward to working for and with Members to make MCC and Lord’s a place where everyone felt welcome.

2 . Minutes of the 234th Annual General Meeting held on 12 May 2021

The President asked Members to receive the minutes of the previous year’s Annual General Meeting.

3. Presentation from the Club Chair

The Club Chair (Mr. B.N. Carnegie-Brown) thanked Members for the support he had received since his appointment had been announced the previous year. He recognised the contribution of his predecessor, Mr. G.M.N. Corbett. During Gerald Corbett’s time in office the Club had completed the redevelopment of the Warner, Compton and Edrich Stands. He had overseen the Life Membership programme during the difficult pandemic period as well as significant reforms of the Club’s governance. On behalf of the Committee and the membership, he thanked Gerald Corbett for his service to the Club. The Club Chair referred to other Members who had completed their terms of office on the Club’s various committees, and thanked them for their substantial contribution and commitment. Governance changes were now well in train: a new Nominations committee (Nomco) was in place and by October 2022, the MCC Committee would have almost halved to a more agile 12. Amongst other things, Nomco had overseen the appointment of Mr. Mark Milliken-Smith QC as the new Chair of the Disciplinary Panel. On behalf of all Members, the Club Chair offered heartfelt thanks to Mark’s predecessor, Mr. Gerard Elias QC, for his dedication and sense of fair play in his eight years in charge of the Disciplinary Panel. As part of the governance changes, Members had been promised a review of the role of the Trustees. Given that the MCC Committee was still in transition to its new structure and would need time before its effectiveness could be assessed, the Club Chair had asked the Committee to delay this review. He undertook that this would happen, and said that the proposed Rule change being put forward at this Meeting should be seen as laying the foundation for that review.

A review of the Club’s strategy, ten years since the publication of the last one, would begin in September. For 2022, the Committee had set six key performance indicators against which to judge progress. These related to Ground Development, major match allocation, major match pitches and playing experience, ensuring that Lord’s was a welcoming and accessible venue, delivering the EDI strategy and using MCC’s voice in global cricket.

Having completed the construction of the Compton and Edrich Stands, the Club now needed to decide

its priorities for the next stage of Ground Development. The Executive’s work on sequencing options supported by costings and cash flows had led to two options for consideration: continuing with the East Gate project or refurbishing the Tavern Stand and rebuilding the Allen Stand. These matters remained under discussion by the Committee.

Turning to the Club’s relationship with ECB, the Club Chair said that the combination of the resignation of ECB’s Chair, the disclosures on racism in the game and the poor performance of the England men’s team during the winter had prompted ECB to conduct a thorough review of: its governance; its equity, diversity and inclusion policies; and its high-performance strategy for England men’s cricket, led by Sir Andrew Strauss. MCC was fully engaged in these discussions.

The Club Chair said that the AGM played an important part in the Club’s governance but he hoped that Members would also have noticed that there had been an increase in the number of Member engagement events in addition to the welcome return of social events at the Club. An important aspect of engagement was acting on feedback and the membership-wide survey conducted in November 2021 had identified the Membership Nominations process as an area of frustration for Members. Details of a simplified online process would be made available to Members soon with the plan to go live with the new system in October.

In conclusion, he praised the commitment and flexibility of the Secretariat in leading the Club during difficult times; he offered sincere thanks to them on behalf of Members. He hoped that Members would be able to enjoy a full season watching great cricket at Lord’s in 2022

4. Annual Report and Accounts for 2021

The Treasurer (Mr. A.B. Elgood) said that his presentation of the audited accounts of the Club for 2021 would include highlights of some of the key financial figures for the year.

Slide 1

Both 2019, which was an Ashes year and a Men’s World Cup year, and 2020, when there were no Test matches at Lord’s due to the pandemic, were extraordinary years for the Club, and 2021 was also different from a normal year, again due to the restrictions of Covid-19, particularly early in the season.

Slide 2

The operating surplus of £8 5m was the highest in the Club’s history other than the £10 5m achieved in 2019 (an Ashes and World Cup year). This success was largely due to the continued cost control implemented by the Executive and the one-off support received from both ECB and the Government. The overall surplus before taxation of £11 2m included a £7 7m non-recurring item relating to Life Membership Entrance Fees from the 338 Associate Members and Candidates who took up the Life Membership offer. The completion of the Compton and Edrich Stands, on time and on budget, supported further demand for Debentures, which contributed to the year-end cash balance of £36 5m.

Slide 3

Total income for 2021 was less than in 2018 and 2019 but, unsurprisingly, greater than in 2020. Of the £22m in ticket receipts (accounting for 47% of total income), £4m was received from ECB in insurance refunds to ticket purchasers who could not be accommodated because of Covid-related restrictions, as well as underwriting ticket sales for the T20 Blast fixtures up to 75% of the previous three years of receipts. The inaugural Hundred competition contributed £3 4m to income from a share of ticket receipts and venue payments, with over 100,000 spectators attending five double-header match days at Lord’s. Catering and hospitality income had returned, but still only to 60% of that achieved in 2018

Slide 4

Costs had increased with activity but remained £5m below 2018 and £10m lower than expenditure in 2019. Labour costs of £15 8m included bonus payments to staff for the year after no bonuses were paid in 2020. Staff did not receive an annual salary increase on 1 January 2021 and headcount at the end of the year was 190 – a 10-year low.

Slide 5

The last two years had included a number of one-off items which had distorted the reported operating surplus. In 2021, these included a subscription rebate of £0 3m, the return of Government furlough money claimed for permanent staff in 2021 and an additional £1m in respect of the Club’s pension fund deficit. The Treasurer said he would not expect to see any of these items in the 2022 Accounts.

Slide 6

The Club’s cash position remained strong with £36 5m in the bank, just £1m less than at year-end 2020, even after spending £9 4m on the completion of the Compton and Edrich Stands. The balance was driven by the operating surplus and strong sales of Debentures in the new stands. However, of the £36 5m of cash, £24 6m related to the balance of the 2020 Life Membership proceeds. In March 2022 the Club purchased 2 Grove End Road at a cost of £7m, including stamp duty and future refurbishment, leaving a balance of c.£5m.

Mr. R.A.J. Dove noted that The Club had not sent the Annual Report by post to Members and asked whether Members could opt in to receive the Annual Report and other AGM documents by post. The Secretary said that digital formats had many advantages in terms of time and cost but the Club had to enable Members who wanted a hard copy to have one. The Executive would reflect on opting in and opting out over the winter period and would make the position clear to Members.

Mr. R.C.S. Titchener-Barrett asked four questions. His first three points related to figures he believed were too high: salaries for the Secretariat and PAs, which had risen from £1 8m to £2 25m, a 24% increase; senior staff salaries of between £222,000 and £275,000; and Middlesex sponsorship of c.£1m. His fourth point related to the Club’s ownership of four properties in Grove End Road and what they were let for when there was no development likely in the next few years.

Responding to the first two points, the Treasurer said that senior executives were paid partly by salary and partly by bonus: at the end of 2020 it was decided that no bonuses would be paid for that year. This was the reason why 2020 was so much lower than both 2019 and 2021. In reply to the fourth question, he said the Committee took the view that the properties were a strategic asset for the Club. They would be refurbished and let in the short-term and would therefore generate income for the Club.

Turning to the question regarding Middlesex, the Assistant Secretary (Finance) said that MCC had a staging agreement with Middlesex for each of the matches hosted at Lord’s and, in return, MCC took the risk and reward of hosting the matches. In 2020, there had been no T20 matches and they were limited in 2021, with part of the income received actually coming from ECB. It was not correct to say that MCC subsidised Middlesex: the relationship between the clubs was very important and the next agreement was in the process of negotiation.

Mr. J.A. Fingleton said that the Club now owned as many houses in Grove End Road as were owned by Rifkind Associates (RA). He asked whether any arrangement was planned with RA which might lead to benefits. The Club Chair said that, hitherto, development of Grove End Road had not been a central part of the Club’s development plan but it might be in future. He did not preclude having conversations but noted that the difference in view about valuations between the Club and RA had been very substantial in the recent past.

5. Appointments and Re-appointments recommended by the MCC Committee

(a) The re-appointment of M.V. Fleming as a Trustee was proposed.

Mr. C. Waterman said that he would be voting against each of the proposed re-appointments at items 5(a), (b), (c) and (d), not because of the individuals, but because the Nominations committee should have a matrix of the skills on the existing Committee; such a matrix had not been seen by Members because the Committee had never been audited.

The Club Chair said that three new members would join the MCC Committee, subject to the vote at the AGM, in October 2022. This represented a considerable change out of a Committee of 12 members. The gap analysis referred to by Mr. Waterman had been carried out and had informed the role description of the individuals whom the Nominations committee hoped would apply for the roles. Getting a balance

of skills around the table was something that the Nominations committee actively worked on. The four individuals proposed for re-election at the Meeting were being proposed for a second term of three years: the Club Rules now specified a limit to the number of years which any Member could serve on a committee. The role and appointment of Trustees would be considered in the second phase of the review of the Club’s governance. The Club Chair added that he personally felt there was a need for a balance between continuity and change and advocated support for all the proposed appointment and re-appointments.

(b) The re-appointment of S.C. Taylor as Chair of Cricket was proposed.

(c) The re-appointment of A.J. Johnston as Chair of Estates was proposed.

(d) The re-appointment of J.O.D. Orders as Chair of Heritage & Collections was proposed.

(e) The appointment of V.K. Griffiths as Chair of Membership & General Purposes was proposed. Before taking this item, the President offered her thanks, on behalf of the MCC Committee and Members, to Sir Ian Magee for his excellent chairmanship of Membership & General Purposes over the past six years.

(f) The appointment of K.C. Sangakkara as Chair of World Cricket with effect from 1 October 2023 was proposed.

(g) The re-appointment of KPMG as auditors of the Club was proposed.

Mr. C.D. Somani asked what plans there were in terms of re-appointment or re-tendering for the next auditors. The Treasurer replied that the Finance committee reviewed the appointment of the auditors at its March meeting every year. The current thinking was that KPMG should serve for ten years before a re-tender process was undertaken.

(The appointments and re-appointments were subsequently approved.)

6. Appointments recommended by the Nominations committee

The Deputy Chair of the Nominations committee (Mr. A.S. Lowenthal) reminded Members that, at the 2020 SGM, proposals were approved for the gradual introduction of a smaller, skills-based MCC Committee, reduced in size to twelve members with effect from 1 October 2022. It was now the Nominations committee’s responsibility to recommend appointments to the MCC Committee (other than the Principal Officers and Chairs of Principal committees) directly to Members.

The Nominations committee had set out the criteria against which they would evaluate candidates for three vacancies arising: ideally at least one individual still playing club cricket; younger Members; and an individual with good business experience across the Club’s range of activities. There had been 27 applications and the six who were closest to the criteria had been interviewed. After close consideration of the overall balance of skills and experience required, the Nominations committee was unanimous in its recommendations.

(a) The appointment of A. Akram was proposed.

(b) The appointment of C.M. McCallum was proposed.

(c) The appointment of M.G.A. McLintock was proposed. Mr. Waterman recorded his formal objection to Mr. McLintock’s appointment.

(d) The appointment of K.C. Sangakkara was proposed.

The President explained that the Nominations committee recommended the appointment of Mr. Sangakkara to represent the World Cricket committee on the MCC Committee, in consequence of the Chair of World Cricket (Mr. M.W. Gatting) being required by the Club Rules to step down from the MCC Committee on 30 September.

(The appointments were subsequently approved.)

7. Re-election of H.J.P. Chetwood as a member of the Nominations committee

The President thanked the five Members who put themselves forward for election to the Nominations committee and congratulated H.J.P. Chetwood on being re-elected.

8. Resolutions proposed by the MCC Committee

(a) Increases to Entrance Fees and Annual Subscriptions.

Mr. M.J.A. Halliwell said he was concerned that the Club was not making sufficient use of its facilities on minor match days and suggested setting a £5 entry fee (if not free) to encourage more people to come to the Ground. The Secretary said that Mr. Halliwell had raised important points about price and accessibility. The Club was working hard to make better use of the facilities outside of major match days. It was difficult to get the balance right between a private members’ club and a commercial business.

(b) Changes to Club Rule 2 7(a)(ii) regarding the Reserved Seat Scheme.

The Assistant Secretary (Membership) (Mr. M.H. Choudhury) reminded Members that the reserved seat scheme, introduced in 2007, allowed Members to reserve seats on major match days and was restricted to up to 40% of seats in the Members’ Friends’ Enclosures on no more than half the season’s major match days. For the past ten years, the scheme had been over-subscribed by at least 50% and the proposal was to extend the scheme to all major match days and for up to 60% of seats in the Members’ Friends’ Enclosures. The review was further reinforced by feedback from the recent Members’ survey. The Reservation Fee applicable to seats for Members, would remain in place to negate the prospect of Members reserving a seat in advance and then not attending on the day. The figure was under review but was likely to be increased from £20 (set in 2007) to £30. Reserved seats would continue to be spread across the Members’ Friends’ Enclosures rather than being concentrated in any one area and certain areas would continue to be reserved for Members with specific access requirements.

Dr. W.R. Allen opposed the proposal. He believed the scheme was in place to enable Members at a distance to get seats but some who used the scheme lived close to the Ground. Increasing the percentage to 60% would prevent the flexibility of joining friends and guests in specific areas which would make the queuing system more difficult. He pointed out that only one in four Members had responded to the survey cited in the AGM papers.

The Assistant Secretary (Membership) said that information from market research in similar surveys indicated that one in four was a very good response rate. The proposal was about balance and flexibility. Every year the reserved seat scheme ballot had been over-subscribed, on some days by as much as 120%. If the proposal proved not to be popular in practice, it could be amended or reversed.

Mr. N.B. Macfarlane agreed with Dr. Allen. He noted that 51% of the survey strongly favoured reserved seats, but asked how many Members this represented. He felt this was more of a financial issue for the Club, taking into account the fee for the reserved seat and the extra amount which a guest paid for a Rover ticket. He also thought that Rover tickets should be precisely that – Rover tickets. The Secretary said that the survey provided an indication of Members’ wishes, but the matter was for consideration at the AGM.

Mr. D.A. Flowers said he thoroughly enjoyed the queue and felt the Club was trying to ruin one of the joys of MCC. The Secretary agreed that the Members’ queue was one of his favourite moments of a major match day but many Members had a different view. He said that the Club was trying to find the right balance and provide some flexibility to keep the majority of Members happy, rather than destroying something that some Members valued.

Mr. D.J. Steele pointed out that while the reservation scheme guaranteed a seat, it was not a specific seat. If one had medical problems or mobility issues, being allocated a seat in the middle of a row would not be ideal. He suggested it would be better if the scheme operated in the way in which it had during the pandemic where Members could log into the website and choose the seats they wanted. The Assistant Secretary (Membership) agreed that it was not possible to select an individual seat owing to the complexity of timings and the nature of the ballot. The Club’s ticketing staff were happy to work with Members who had specific access requests and would always seek to accommodate them.

The Secretary added that the Membership & General Purposes committee (M&GP) continued to debate reserved seating, queuing and the capacity in the Ground on a regular basis to achieve a model which provided the best service for everyone. He said it was disappointing when seats were not used on major match days.

Mr. A.D.B. Wright asked why the designation “Life Member” had been removed from the red Membership Pass. The Club Chair said that he and Mr. Wright had been in correspondence on this matter and he had explained the reasons why the designation had been removed. He had also undertaken that M&GP would review the decision in time for the 2023 season.

Mr. N.C. Foley said he was not opposed to reserved seating but was concerned at the effective trebling of the number of reserved seats available. He hoped the Committee had considered latent demand and whether a similar number of Members would be queuing for half as many unreserved seats. Members had priority access to Public Stand tickets, but the cost of the reservation fee and a Rover ticket was considerably cheaper than a seat in, say, the Grand Stand.

Mr. P.D. Murphy, a member of M&GP who had been involved in the process to draw up the proposals, said that ticketing arrangements were complicated, with many interdependent factors. It was difficult to anticipate the number of Members who would use the Members’ Friends’ Enclosures, and therefore how many unreserved Rover tickets could be made available. Decisions were informed by precedent, with a risk that there would be vacant seats on major match days, as had happened quite significantly during the England v India Test match in 2021. Under-utilisation of the Ground on a major match day was something which should be avoided at all costs. He believed that increasing the level of reserved seating in Members’ Friends’ Enclosures would give a better indication of demand and lead to better decision-making than was currently possible.

The Assistant Secretary (Membership) added that the Rule had been written to say “up to 60%” of seats, so if there was a lack of demand, there was scope and flexibility to change.

(c) Changes to the Rules regarding the Role of the Trustees.

The Treasurer said that the proposed change to the Rule regarding the Trustees was intended as a precursor to a full review of their status, position and authority in the Club. The Committee was proposing that the Rules should be amended to reflect better the current role undertaken by the Trustees.

9. Changes made to the Laws of Cricket

The President reported that the Laws sub-committee had carried out a full re-appraisal of the Laws of Cricket, the first major set of changes in five years. With the game changing so quickly globally, it was important to be able to react to trends quickly and to identify potential issues before they became serious problems. The changes would come into effect in October 2022, although some had already been adopted by various governing bodies around the world.

The Chair of Cricket (Ms. S.C. Taylor) said that over 70 changes (many relatively minor) had been made and were intended to maintain the balance of the game, shaping cricket as it should be played. The biggest change was that players would no longer be permitted to apply saliva to the cricket ball. Trial conditions during the pandemic had shown that saliva does not have much material impact on swing, and removing saliva was a positive step for both fair play and hygiene.

The second significant change related to batters crossing when a catch is taken, which had been trialled in The Hundred in 2021. If the striker was out Caught, the new batter would now always be on strike, unless it was a new over.

Changes had also been made to the Wide Law. If a batter was moving laterally around the crease, they would lose the protection of a wide ball, if the bowler bowled anywhere they had previously been standing while the ball was in play.

Finally, the Laws were now fully gender-neutral, with the replacement of the term “batsman” with “batter”. MCC believed that use of gender-neutral terminology helped reinforce cricket’s status as an inclusive game for all.

10. The structure of the non-major match fixture list from 2023 onwards

The President said that the Matter for Discussion brought by the MCC Committee concerned the structure of the minor match programme at Lord’s and, most particularly, the decision taken by the Committee and

reported to Members in February 2022, not to continue with the annual Oxford v. Cambridge and Eton v. Harrow matches as regular fixtures on the Main Ground from 2023

The Club Chair said that the Committee wished instead to move to staging finals for national schools and universities competitions which would enable the best boys and girls, and young men and women, to play at Lord’s. It was hoped that Eton and Harrow, and Oxford and Cambridge, would enter these competitions, so the possibility of their continuing to play remained, but clearly there was no guarantee they would be in the respective final each year.

It was important to understand the significance of the change and he recognised that it was one with which many disagreed. It had generated much correspondence and debate and, whilst the Committee believed it to be the right decision for the Club, it was accepted that it could have been better communicated, sensitive to the strength of feeling which the subject provoked. He wished to set out the broader context, starting with two specific concerns which had been expressed: that the Club was abandoning tradition and, secondly, that the matter should have been put to Members for a vote.

The Club Chair observed that every tradition began either as an innovation – a departure from existing practice – or as an evolution of that practice. He reflected on the decline in status of Oxford v. Cambridge, noting that the fixture attracted little interest from the wider public, with average Members’ attendance less than 200 in recent years. Turning to Eton v. Harrow, he noted the changing demographics within the Club, which now had a far more diverse membership. Spectators for the fixture tended to be limited to pupils, ex-pupils and their families, with Members’ attendance low, at around 120

The Committee had been mindful that to play on the Main Ground at Lord’s was probably the ambition of every cricketer and that access to do so should not be granted purely on the basis of historic privilege. After the major matches, the Middlesex fixtures and The Hundred, the Committee considered which minor match fixtures should be played, by weighing up all competing options. In doing so, the MCC Committee utilised the expertise within the Cricket committee and Executive, who unanimously recommended the decision which was ultimately made by the MCC Committee.

The Assistant Secretary (Cricket & Operations) (Mr. J. Cox) said that the strategic review of the Club’s match programme had had three core purposes: to consider the volume of cricket that could be sustained at Lord’s without compromising the delivery of high-quality pitches for the most important matches; to establish the principles by which the existing non-major match programme should be reviewed; and to enable the committees to make choices with regard to the future composition of the non-major match programme.

MCC received a very high number of requests for fixtures at Lord’s and already hosted more days of cricket than any other major venue in the UK. The quality of pitches was critical to both the development of international players and to ensuring that MCC retained two Test matches every year. The review of the 2021 season showed that the volume of cricket had caused real strain on the playing surface and affected the Groundstaff’s ability to sustain the quality of pitches. Whilst it was difficult to quantify the impact, providing adequate time for preparation for major matches is adversely affected as the number of fixtures increases. Groundstaff cannot work on the grass when there are people playing on it. The issues were discussed and the possibilities debated with the Head Groundsman; the wealth of cricketing knowledge and experience of Cricket committee and MCC Committee members was utilised; and, having reviewed all considerations, it was concluded that a maximum of 60 days should be set for the Main Ground.

Having reached this conclusion, the committees then debated how these days should be apportioned and it was felt that staging the finals of schools and universities competitions for boys and girls, young men and women, better met the Club’s priorities than continuing to allocate two days, annually, to Oxford v. Cambridge and Eton v. Harrow. Preparations for the schools’ and universities’ finals were being taken forward with British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS), with the English Schools’ Cricket Association (ESCA) and with ECB. The Club was confident that with the national competitions already in place, it would be possible to create two showpiece finals on the Main Ground to enable the best cricketers from many different institutions to play at Lord’s.

The Secretary said that the Club had been in communication with a Member who was seeking support for an SGM to enable Members to consider a Resolution regarding the decision not to continue with Eton v. Harrow and Oxford v. Cambridge on an annual basis. The Club Rules on the matter were very clear: an SGM would be convened within 90 days of receipt of a valid requisition supported by 180 Members. To date, such a valid requisition had not been received. The purpose of the agenda item tabled by the Committee was to hear Members’ views and to engage in discussion.

Mr. G.D.C. Paterson said that this was the first time he had felt compelled to attend the AGM. He felt that, given how controversial the subject was, the simplest thing would be for the Committee to confirm that there would be an SGM and then the matter could be resolved by the Members of the Club.

Mr. S.W.M. Davie pointed out that both Oxford and Cambridge had become more inclusive in the last five years, moving from 50% state school entrants to nearly 73%. They should be commended for the change and allowed to continue to play at Lord’s in recognition of their academic excellence, if not necessarily for their cricket. The matches should not take lower precedence than the J.P. Morgan corporate day, nor the Club’s internal fixture for Playing Members.

Mr. J.R. Millard said that he entirely supported the Committee’s decision. He pointed out that fewer than 200 Members attended the Oxford v. Cambridge match, and 120 the Eton v. Harrow match, and he assumed that half of those were related to the players. It seemed to him ludicrous to continue to host matches which it was clear Members were not interested in coming to watch.

The Club Chair said that if a requisition for an SGM was received, then clearly it would be held. He said that the challenge lay in which question was put: a simple request to reinstate the matches would not address the broader question of which matches were the most relevant for the Club to host. To Mr. Davie’s point, he accepted that Oxford and Cambridge had become more inclusive as universities but said that a match between the two could not be more inclusive than a universities competition with the final at Lord’s. He advised that there was an attraction to any sponsor in being able to play at Lord's in addition to the branding rights that they get at Lord’s. In his estimation, Members would lose effectively £80 per head if the Club was to get rid of J.P. Morgan and other sponsors.

Mr. N.J.W. Stewart said that he did not understand how the proposed schools and universities competitions would be run and how a knockout competition could be held in a very crowded school calendar. He was sorry that the oldest fixture, Eton v. Harrow, was to be dropped; it was part of MCC’s history and culture and he was sad that MCC should allow the fixture, and that of Oxford v. Cambridge, to slide off the fixture list.

Mr. R.A.J. Dove wished to make a broader point about how the non-major match days were fitted into the schedule. He made a plea for there to be at least one Middlesex 50-over match at Lord’s in 2023 and 2024

Mr. R.C.S. Titchener-Barrett felt that where the Committee had made a big mistake was that they should have consulted with the membership on the two fixtures. MCC’s own history was entwined with that of individuals who had attended the four institutions. While the quality of Oxford v. Cambridge was not what it used to be, the same was not so for Eton v. Harrow, with the match having produced many top cricketers in recent times. Both fixtures were proper games of cricket – 55 and 50 overs respectively –which should be encouraged. The Eton v. Harrow match made decent money for the Club, in comparison to the subsidy the Club made to Middlesex each year. MCC was a prestigious cricket club and change needed to be based on a mixture of cricketing tradition and ability. At the moment, the Club was going full-fronted over diversity and political correctness. He queried whether the fixture taking place on the same day as the Meeting, MCC v. the National Asian Cricket Council, was the sort of fixture that should replace MCC’s history and heritage or whether it might be better suited to an end of season match against Cross Arrows on the Nursery Ground. The square at Lord’s was not over-used; there were more pitches than ever before, which dried out more quickly; and there were several big gaps in the calendar.

The Assistant Secretary (Cricket & Operations), responding to Mr. Stewart, said that the “Road to Lord’s” was not a new concept: Lord’s already hosted the Village Cup Final, the Club Championship Final, the MCC Foundation Hubs Finals and, in 2022, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Final. As a concept, it valued the desire and aspiration to play at Lord’s. Speaking personally, his Lord’s finals with Somerset were three

days in his life he would never forget, because his team had earned the right to play at the Ground, and had won one of them. Of the two organisations MCC had chosen to partner with, BUCS already ran a competition for universities which fed to a final; and ESCA had a number of age-group competitions that ran initially inside the county structure and then became a national competition. Any school could apply to play in the ESCA competition and any university could apply to play in the BUCS competition. The principle would be to run a meritocratic system whereby the best earned the right to play at Lord’s.

The Secretary, addressing Mr. Dove’s comments, said that the schedule was a puzzle to put together and fitting four formats into a season was very difficult. The point about cricket in August had been picked up in the review of the structure of the domestic season, with MCC keen to get more red-ball cricket played at the height of the summer.

In response to Mr. Titchener-Barrett’s contribution, the Club Chair said that he did not contest the tradition point but that the issue was tradition versus progress. He believed you could be a respecter of tradition and still take pride in excellence and meritocracy as lasting values that MCC had always supported and wished to perpetuate. There were no easy choices but the Committee believed it had made the right choice and there was a route back to Lord’s for Oxford and Cambridge, and for Eton and Harrow, in competitions that the Club would be proud to host that would give a huge amount of opportunity to people well beyond those universities or schools to come and play at Lord’s.

The Chair of Cricket (Ms. S.C. Taylor) said that the Cricket committee was responsible for the Club’s cricket strategy, the Ground itself and matches which MCC played. The Main Ground was one of the Club’s most important assets and there was a duty to balance the quality of pitches for international and major matches with access to the Ground and who could play on it. There had been multiple discussions about the principles by which matches should be assessed. From her personal perspective, there was a road to Lord’s for all cricketers of all ages – through schools and universities, through village and club competitions, the county structure and so forth. Lord’s needed to be a home of cricket for all cricketers.

Mr. A.R.C. Fraser said that the core objective for Lord’s was to be the finest cricket ground in the world. To achieve this, the Club needed to be welcoming and to provide elite facilities. The Club needed to give the Groundstaff the best possible chance of producing good surfaces and they needed time. He said that the Groundstaff had had time so far in the 2022 season and the two County Championship matches had been played on very good pitches. In years gone by, more days of cricket had been played but expectations were not as high and scores in the latter part of the season were often low. He therefore supported limiting the number of days’ cricket. He fully supported the breakdown of the days as well. It would be possible to continue to play Eton v. Harrow and Oxford v. Cambridge but, as a consequence, it would be necessary to limit the opportunities for others to play at Lord’s, which he did not believe was fair. If Lord’s wished to be viewed seriously as the Home of Cricket, he did not believe it could be a place where the entitled few continued to dominate all the available opportunities. Giving high-quality male and female cricketers from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to play at Lord’s was something that he would be proud to be associated with.

The President felt it was time to conclude the discussion. However, in order to gauge the sentiment in the room, she would like to put a simple question to the AGM. It had already been acknowledged that the communication could have been more timely and more comprehensive, but she wished to ask the Meeting whether they felt the Committee had made the right decision. The Secretary emphasised that this was not a vote but a means to understand the views in the room and online.

(A show of hands was conducted. The Secretary subsequently reported that the combination of online and in-person indications showed 190 Members felt the Committee had made the right decision, and 95 felt the Committee had made the wrong decision.)

Mr. D.C. Neil-Smith pointed out that the last two speeches before the show of hands were from the Cricket committee, which was strongly in favour of dropping the Eton v Harrow and Oxford v Cambridge matches. Also, Members were given no prior warning of the vote. He felt this was unfair. The Secretary said it was a good opportunity to hear from Members but it would be surprising, with a forum of Members in the room and online, not to seek to establish views. It was not a vote; it was an opportunity to gauge sentiment.

11. Matters for Discussion proposed by 20 or more Members in accordance with Rule 21 3(x)

(a) The relationship between MCC & ECB

Mr. C. Waterman said that ECB had failed in its response to the problems at Yorkshire and Essex County Cricket Clubs, the chaos and confusion over red- and white-ball cricket which had significantly damaged the game, the introduction of The Hundred competition and the poor performance of the England men’s Test team. He said that, in football, the impact of foreign money on the Premier League and the proposal for a European Super League had led to a fan-led review of football governance. The growing influence of the Indian Premier League on the shape and timing of international cricket could and perhaps should lead to an independent fan-led review of cricket governance.

Mr. Waterman asked whether the perceived necessity to stage two Test matches each year prevented MCC from commenting on whether ECB’s actions safeguarded the future of cricket. He further asked how the conflicts of interest between MCC and ECB, caused by individuals holding positions in both organisations, could be resolved. The key question was whether MCC had any red lines in relation to ECB, and whether MCC had the courage to launch a fan-led review of cricket governance.

The Club Chair said that MCC was regarded as one of the first-class counties in its relationship with ECB and the Club held one of the 41 votes at ECB. MCC had been involved in every aspect of ECB’s review of its current governance and was helping to shape the ECB of the future. Constructive conversations were ongoing, with MCC preferring to exercise influence behind the scenes. There were a number of complex issues, including those covered by Mr. Waterman, but he firmly believed that MCC’s opinion was valued and that maintaining good relations with the first-class counties and ECB was worthwhile.

Mr. D.C. Neil-Smith said he hoped MCC supported ECB’s determination to reset red-ball cricket with more first-class cricket after the disastrous loss of the Ashes. It was obvious that action needed to be taken to strengthen the England Test team and he hoped that MCC would play a major role in this. He was disappointed that none of the MCC matches in the fixture list were first-class and said he would like to see the restoration of MCC v. Champion County at Lord’s, MCC v. the Tourists and an England trial match involving MCC against the England Lions or an English Counties XI. He asked whether it would be possible for Sir Andrew Strauss, who was carrying out a review of English cricket to attend a Members’ Forum so that Members could offer their input.

The Club Chair said that he was attracted to the idea of inviting Sir Andrew Strauss to meet Members in an informal session, but did not know whether this would be possible. He said that there were many views as to why red-ball cricket was in difficulties and he was sure that the majority of Members were supportive of measures to achieve the survival of red-ball cricket. In terms of MCC’s own cricket, the Assistant Secretary (Cricket & Operations) would take the points away to consider.

(b) Committee Transparency

Mr. J.P. Hegarty said that he had raised the issue of transparency at the last AGM and, as a result, there were now prompt updates from the Club, such as View from the Committee Room and updates from Estates, Finance and Cricket. The Executive’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which defined the Club’s operational direction, were now published. However, the more detailed proceedings of committee meetings had been lost. In his view, the improvements had only inched transparency forward. In broad terms, many Members did not understand how the Club was run and were given no insight as to how outcomes were reached. There was no knowledge of how the Executive was held to account, nor what the actions and outcomes were for the Club’s KPIs.

He believed the Club hid things from Members. It was possible that the Club did not wish Members to know, since it did not have the confidence that Members would support its actions. It ensured that there was no debate in advance of an outcome being reached with outcomes simply presented to Members, such as the historic fixtures decision or the change in children’s Test match ticket pricing. The lack of transparency disrespected Members and came at a cost. For the historic fixtures decision, Executive time had been spent defending the decision to Members and in the media and trying to repair the damage to the Club’s reputation and brand. An explanation of the principles behind the decision was only issued to Members after the event.

Mr. Hegarty noted that there were grounds for confidentiality, such as commercial and HR issues, but trust did not walk hand in hand with secrecy. One approach to openness would be to publish meeting agendas which listed confidential items and the reason for their confidentiality; to publish working papers, followed by an unredacted report, so that Members could understand how outcomes were achieved. Most local councils did this and it caused them no problems whatsoever. Concerns that such openness would increase Executive time and cost should lessen as trust and confidence grew.

The Club Chair said that he wanted to reassure Members that he was committed to being as open as possible on as many issues as possible with the membership. He received very good feedback on “View from the Committee Room”, which was published in a timely fashion after each MCC Committee meeting. There were some things which were not included because they concerned commercial activity; similarly, in the case of Oxford v. Cambridge and Eton v. Harrow, it was felt appropriate to hold discussions with the schools and universities before sharing more broadly. The Club Chair said he hoped Members would have noticed that the Club was communicating with Members on a more regular basis. The Club’s KPIs had been published and he was able to confirm that the Committee would hold the Executive accountable against them. He said that there was more that could be done, but noted that management of the Club was delegated to the Club’s committee structure and there was an opposing view that Members may be crowded with too much information in which they had little interest. It was about getting the balance right. The Committee was open to any specific recommendations on membership communication.

(c) Female Membership

Mr. J.P. Hegarty said that, by and large, MCC remained a men’s Club and it behoved men to take the lead in talking about diversity to see what solutions were available to achieve a better gender balance. It was important for MCC to be seen to be leading in the area of EDI. Women’s cricket presented a significant new commercial opportunity and had created scope for a much wider cricket fan base to develop, especially among girls and women. If MCC wanted to improve its gender balance, Members would have to vote to change the current election model of “next in turn” for election to Full membership. The Secretary said that he did not feel it was possible to do such an important subject justice at the AGM. MCC was in the process of changing the Member application process to make it easier for more diverse Candidates to become Members of the Club. The ability to attract Playing Members, particularly female Playing Members, was vital to the Club’s future and this was another area where it should be possible to make progress within the existing legal framework. Work was being done to try to address the issues.

Mr. C.E. Hancock noted that female Members represented less than 2% of Full Members and asked whether setting targets over three-, five- and ten-year periods would be a positive move. The Club Chair said that the key issue in meeting targets would be the consequences for the existing Waiting List. ECB was facing pressure on its diversity targets for the game as a whole, and MCC would find itself in a difficult position if it was not seen to act. The Committee was very receptive to the challenge and would clearly need to engage with the membership in this area.

(d) Composition of Nomco

Mr. C. Waterman said that he felt that the removal of direct elections to the MCC Committee was one of the more egregious reforms that Members had been persuaded to accept. Nomco had been introduced with a minority of directly elected members as a device to preserve good collegiate behaviour on the Committee and was part of a package of reforms that MCC had plucked from the Sport England code of governance. Members were told that compliance would be essential if Lord’s were to be allocated the two Test matches on which its finances were predicated. It was stated that “Nomco would review the Club’s strategic objectives in discussion with the Club Chairman and the CEO to establish the skills and experience required on the MCC Committee for the delivery of those objectives”. The resulting skills and experience matrix would then be approved by the Committee and shared with the membership. He asked the Secretary what the Club’s strategic objectives were, when were they reviewed by Nomco, when was the skills matrix approved by the Committee and when was it shared with Members.

12 . Any Other Business

Mr. H.S.J. Scott asked whether the Smoking Area in front of the Pavilion could be restored. This was not supported by other Members.

Mr. J.A. Fingleton said that there had been a large number of schoolchildren at the recent Middlesex Championship match and he was very sad that there had been no perambulation during the intervals, as this should be permitted as a matter of course. Secondly, he had heard that a batsman had requested Members to move from behind the arm, which was quite wrong and should not be allowed to happen. The Secretary agreed that perambulation was important and he wanted to see opportunities for Members or children to have access to the outfield. He also agreed that setting a precedent around the position of Members in the Pavilion would not be helpful to the operation of the Club.

Mr. J.S. Davis reiterated the earlier comment about the removal of the words “Life Member” from the Membership Pass. It would be much appreciated if the decision could be reversed and extended further through the introduction of a Life Members’ tie. He also referred to the launch time of 10am on a weekday for online ticket applications, which was difficult for Members who were in full-time work. He wondered whether consideration could be given to opening the purchase window at 7pm or 8pm, which would be fairer and more accessible for all Members. The Secretary thanked Mr. Davis for his questions and said that consideration would be given to all of them.

The President thanked all Members for attending the AGM, whether online or in person and the technical team for ensuring that a hybrid meeting could take place.

The President closed the Meeting at 18 45

After the conclusion of the Meeting, 175 Members dined together at the 235th Anniversary Dinner, which was held in the Long Room. After giving the Loyal Toast, the President proposed the health of the President Designate, who responded. Mr. J.E. Carter proposed the toast “MCC and Cricket”.

Note: The above voting figures record when each Member voted. They do not record whether that Member also attended the Meeting.

MCC FOUNDATION

Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation (MCCF) is the charitable arm of MCC, with a mission to transform lives through cricket, across the UK and around the world. At the heart of MCCF’s programmes is a desire to harness the transformative power of cricket to empower young people to reach their full potential, to promote physical and mental wellbeing, and to unite and inspire communities.

WITHIN THE UK

MCCF’s primary objective is to make cricket a game for all and to ensure better representation in the game by opening access to the talent pathways through the nationwide Cricket Hubs programme

OVERSEAS

MCCF facilitates the playing of cricket in countries where there is interest in the game but limited infrastructure, providing cricket opportunities that also drive positive social change

83% 84% of participants said that being part of the Hub made them happier

of parents said that being part of the Hub improved their child's mental wellbeing

IMPACT IN THE UK

MCCF’s joint project with MCC at Lord’s, to welcome Afghan families who had fled their country as it fell to the Taliban and were being accommodated in local bridging hotels, continued into 2022. Cricket was at the heart of the offering, bringing much needed joy, but there were also English lessons, a creche, yoga and a delicious hot Afghan meal. It was a wonderful bonus to see enthusiastic young players go on to join local clubs or attend MCCF Hubs, helping them to further integrate and bringing talent to the game. It was an honour to receive the Tessa Jowell Community Award for the project at this year’s Sports Industry Awards.

MCCF’s nationwide Cricket Hubs aim to ensure equality of opportunity by providing free-to-access coaching and match play for state-educated young cricketers aged 11-15 The Hubs have a vital role to play in helping promising players who have been engaged in mass participation initiatives or non-traditional formats to develop their hard-ball skills and to help them transition into clubs as part of the formal talent pathway.

The Foundation delivered 74 Hubs (an increase of 15 Hubs) in 2022, engaging over 2,800 young cricketers, with 176 new places available for girls, bringing the percentage of female participants to 31%. Over the past two years, MCCF has increased the number of beneficiaries from ethnically diverse communities by 12% (to 31%).

The Hubs typically provide ten weeks of indoor coaching between January and March, offering totally free access to coaching. Around 200 beneficiaries went on to gain representative honours, being selected by their county, regional or district teams. In a survey conducted in all Hubs, 84% of participants said that being part of the Hub made them happier and 83% of parents said that being part of the Hub improved their child’s mental wellbeing.

The National Hub Competition, sponsored by Charles Stanley Wealth Managers and now in its second year, comprised two knockout tournaments played over 20 weeks, for U15

boys and U15 girls. Bolton and Guildford Girls’ Hubs, and Newcastle and Nottingham Boys’ Hubs reached the finals at Lord’s in July where, thanks to MCC, they enjoyed an unforgettable day. They changed in the players’ dressing rooms, had lunch in the Players’ Dining Room and stepped out to bat at the Home of Cricket. Both finals took place in succession on the Main Ground in front of a packed-out Pavilion and Tavern Stand, and thousands tuned in to watch the livestream on MCCF’s YouTube channel.

Bolton Girls and Newcastle Boys were the victors and former England Men’s captains (and MCCF Patrons) Mike Brearley and Mike Gatting, and current Brazil Women’s captain, Roberta Avery, presented medals to all participants.

BBC Radio’s London, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham stations held interviews with MCCF’s Patrons, Hub Coaches and Beneficiaries in the leadup to the day. Afterwards, there

were televised items on regional BBC and ITV News and the tournament was also covered by various local radio and print outlets.

An exciting U13 competition for London Hubs took place simultaneously on the Nursery Ground and in the Indoor Cricket Centre as part of MCCF’s London Action Plan (see below). Six boys’ teams and five girls’ teams competed and it was a wonderful way for the many young Afghan refugees taking part to make new friends and display their vibrant cricket skills. Leyton’s Girls’ and Boys’ Hubs were the winners.

It was year two of the London Action Plan, which aims to further break down cultural, social, and financial barriers to accessing and progressing in cricket. MCCF’s 14 London Hubs engaged more than 500 state-educated young cricketers of whom 27% were girls and 67% were from ethnically diverse communities. London Hub participants in need of assistance were provided with cricket kit through a Player Support Fund and with help from Bat for a Chance, a charity led by MCCF Young Ambassador, Will Gaffney, which provides high-quality second-hand kit. Two mentors were employed to provide an additional layer of support and advice for Hub participants and their parents.

A series of Springboards (technical coaching courses) led by former Test cricketers Monty Panesar, Monty Lynch, Gordon Greenidge and MCC Head of Women’s Cricket Kari Carswell, provided specialist training to 40 (24 boys and

16 girls) of our most promising London based Hub participants from under-represented backgrounds. MCCF worked with Middlesex, Surrey, Essex and Cricket East to ensure participants were made known to county talent selectors and invited to trial for representative squads. Eleven participants were selected for county or regional programmes as a result.

IMPACT OVERSEAS

In Nepal, MCCF has worked in partnership with MCC’s Legacy Tours programme since 2019. This year’s coaching programme, again delivered through partners Kidasha, Connecting Clubs, and Cricket Without Boundaries, reached over 3,500 children. In Eastern Nepal over 60% of beneficiaries were female and sessions focused on cricket, mental health, and female empowerment. In Pokhara, 15 schools were provided with coaching and a week-long tournament.

Many beneficiaries have gone on to play representative cricket at district and province level. One girl, Sanu, was selected to play for the National U 19 Team in the Asia Qualifiers for the U 19 World Cup. Sanu was introduced to cricket through the MCCF programme and has overcome many challenges to develop her cricket. She is now employed as a community coach through the programme, earning a living and providing a role model for the girls and boys coming through the programme.

In Lebanon, MCCF continues its support for a vital project providing hope and opportunity through cricket for young Syrian refugees, delivered by the Alsama Cricket Club. This year, the two Hubs, which offer year-round coaching and match play for refugee children in the Shatila and Bekaa Valley encampments, were expanded to four, to include the Bourj-El-Barajneh camp. MCCF funded two coaches to travel to Lebanon to train coaches and talented players to achieve ICC Level 1 accreditation.

As a result, Alsama now has 32 ICC level 1 coaches, more than 20% of those in the world to hold this certificate. MCCF Director Dr. Sarah Fane was accompanied by MCC President Clare Connor and MCC Chief Executive Guy Lavender on a visit to the project in February. The week-long trip was covered by both The National and Metro and a short film was also broadcast at MCC’s

AGM and on Sky Sports during the England v. India Women’s ODI in September.

MCCF launched its support for cricket in Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya in July, with close to 7,000 people now engaged on the programmes each month. By bridging the gap between soft-ball cricket and the talent pathway, MCCF is helping to support the National Cricket Associations in the region. As ever, the programmes also drive home key messages on mental health and locally relevant social issues.

In Rwanda, MCCF has entered a strategic partnership with UNHCR, the UN agency responsible for refugees. Working with delivery partners, MCCF supports young leaders from the refugee camps to deliver cricket sessions. This is part of UNHCR’s Sport for Protection initiative which uses sport as a tool for social development in challenging camp conditions.

FUNDRAISING

The Long Room Gala Dinner planned for 2020 was finally held in March 2022, raising a magnificent £100,000. Jonathan Agnew was the guest speaker and attendees were also treated to a panel discussion from Clare Connor, Isa Guha and Heather Knight. The trio of female England cricketers past and present gave an uplifting insight into the momentum behind women’s cricket.

MCCF used the Women’s ODI at Lord’s in September to raise awareness about its work to promote and support the women’s and girls’ game, empowering girls across the world through cricket. The Girls’ Hub Finalists from Bolton and Guildford formed an historic Guard of Honour in front of the Pavilion before the match and MCCF Director Dr. Sarah Fane rang the five-minute bell. During the Lunch interval, Sarah and Clare

Later in the year, MCCF Chair Philip Hodson hosted supporters for Summer Drinks in the Harris Garden and Matthew Fleming and Clare Connor hosted a Writing Room Dinner sponsored by Edureach. The Big Give Christmas Challenge, a matched giving campaign, was also a great success, raising more than £95,000 for projects in the UK and Lebanon.

AWARENESS

An Instagram account, launched in 2022, now has around 700 followers and has enabled collaborations with others, such as BBC Sport’s Isa Guha and Cricket District to help boost people’s awareness of the Foundation, with one post reaching 28,000 viewers.

Connor were interviewed live by Sky Sports. Simultaneously, 50 female beneficiaries from a selection of MCCF’s UK Hubs participated in soft-ball cricket drills on the Main Ground. MCCF Trustee Mehmooda Duke also spoke with BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra from the TMS commentary box. Regular features in MCC's emails also helped raise awareness.

Looking ahead to 2023, the Foundation is excited to be launching a five-year plan, with an increased focus on support for girls, on match play and on using cricket to deliver life-enhancing skills beyond the game. To achieve this, MCCF will continue to work closely with MCC's Community and Tours departments, MCC Playing Members, and our overseas delivery partners.

THANK YOU TO MCC FOUNDATION SUPPORTERS

The Foundation is grateful to every one of its supporters who have enabled the delivery of programmes in the UK and around the world in 2022 While space precludes thanking everybody, the Foundation would particularly like to recognise the following:

The Aldridge Foundation

Charlotte Appleyard

Geoff Ball

The Kamini and Vindi Banga Family Trust

Philip Bassett

Paul Bedford

Adrian Beecroft

Peter Bennett-Jones

Sophia Bergqvist

David Bridges

The T.B.H. Brunner Charitable Trust

Connor Burrowes

Roy Calvocoressi Esq OBE

Zed Cama

Bruce & Jane Carnegie-Brown

Varun Chandra

Charles Stanley Wealth Managers

John and Doone Chatfeild-Roberts

Clare Connor CBE

Alex and Charlotte Cooper-Evans

The Cricket Society Trust

Cullum Family Trust

Philip Curl

Neil Davidson CBE

The Dowley Charitable Trust

Mehmooda Duke MBE

Simon Dyson

Tony Elgood

Richard Evans

The Fairstead Trust

Tim Faithfull

Matthew Fleming

David and Caroline Foord

Captain WFE Forbes

Stephen Fry

GKL Leasing

Christopher 'Bomber' Griffith-Jones

The Walter Guinness Charitable Trust

Alan and Irene Halsall

Hamro Foundation

Richard Hobbs

Hodson Estate Agents

Phillip and Sally-Ann Hodson

The Holbeck Trust

Andy Holmes

HOW TO DONATE

Andrew Homer

Will House

David Hufton

Rick and Melissa Johnson

Jim and Cyndy Johnston

Michael Joseph

Rohan Kapadia

Matthew Kirkby

Paul Knox

The Loveday Charitable Trust

IRK Maclaren

The Philip Marsden Charitable Trust

Marylebone Cricket Club

Peter and Rasha Mason

The McCorquodale Charitable Trust

The Menton family

Andrew Moncrieff

Jonathan Olsen

Charles and Rachel Palmer

Dr Samir Pathak

The Peltz Trust

Daniel Peltz OBE

Dominic Pemberton

Fiona and Gary Phillips

Nigel Pollard in memory of Peter Ward

Parents and players of Primrose Hill Cricket Club

The Derek Raphael Charitable Trust

The Robertson Ness Trust

The Roden Family

Kiran and Raksha Shah

Charles Skey Charitable Trust

Oliver Stocken CBE

John Swire 1989 Charitable Trust

Anonymous donor for the people of the Ukraine

Jan Wulf van Alkemade

Garfield Weston Foundation

Nigel Wildish

In Memory of Gerald and Pamela Williams

J Stuart Williamson

The Wogen Anniversary Trust

Charles Wolfson Charitable Trust

Revd Peter Wolton

The Worshipful Company of Glovers

Eric M Young and Family

If you would join them by supporting the MCC Foundation, please visit lords.org/MCCFoundation

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OBITUARIES

The Committee regrets to announce the death of 235 Members in 2022 and wishes to make special mention of the following:

A.G. BERRY, Elected 1979

Despite his successes as a leading British businessman, Tony Berry told friends that his proudest moment came at the age of 18 when he took the applause from Members in the Long Room having scored 46* for Middlesex Young Amateurs at Lord’s. He never forgot seeing his father George in the corner of the room, clapping the loudest.

Berry was a talented sportsman. He was a national schoolboy boxing champion in 1957, played cricket for Middlesex II and was an apprentice professional at Tottenham Hotspur FC, where he became a director for 11 years and club chairman in 1991 -92 . He captained Edmonton CC, breaking the club's run-scoring record in the 1960s before going on to become club president.

A management accountant with Guinness and then Bovril, Berry made his name by buying a controlling stake in recruitment agency Blue Arrow in 1981. The company became the world's largest recruitment business, acquiring other firms such as Brook Street and Manpower. Once voted "Best dressed man in the City", Berry founded his own firm, Berry Recruitment Agency, for whom both his children now work. Died aged 81

LT.-COL. G.P. BLAKER, Elected 1958

It was as a subaltern that Peter Blaker informed his father that he would not be following in his footsteps to practise law in the family firm in Henley-on-Thames. He had decided to leave Jesus College, Cambridge to join the army. Blaker joined the 1st Green Jackets and sailed to Malaya in April 1962, commanding a support weapons platoon company.

Back in Britain, he became one of the earliest officers in the Green Jackets to qualify as a helicopter pilot and would go on to complete five tours in Borneo, thought to be the only serviceman to have done so. Cerebral and eccentric, Blaker had a singular way of doing things, adopting a P.G. Wodehouse persona and even keeping a python in his room in Borneo.

In 1979, Blaker became Commanding Officer of the Cambridge University Officers Training Corp, notable under his leadership for its promotion of women as officers and support for those with mental health challenges. After the army, his work included roles with the General Council and Register of Osteopaths and the British Southern Slav Society. He was a tireless host of Jesus College rowers during Henley Regatta and maintained his military links as chairman, president and then patron of Henley’s branch of the Royal British Legion. Died aged 85

M.R. BLOW, Elected 1988

Mike Blow arrived at Lord’s as Assistant Secretary (Finance) in 1987. He had trained as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, working in industry before joining MCC. Devoted to the Club, he kept a firm grip on the finances at Lord's, with his remit also extending to cover personnel matters. With a keen sense of humour, he was not above teasing colleagues, always treading the right side of the line when trading jokes with junior staff.

Blow retired in 1997, but proved a hard act to follow. Little more than a year later, as the Club embarked on a third attempt to identify his successor, he was persuaded to return. It was a popular choice. Having set the ship back on course, he sailed gracefully on into retirement in 1999, this time for good. Died aged 86

HIS HON. JUDGE J.G. BOAL, kc , Elected 1985

Whilst sitting as a judge at the Old Bailey, Graham Boal would require his clerk to ensure that the Test scores were passed to him. To him, cricket was important. He was known as a clubbable man and even designed his own blazer, incorporating the colours of MCC, the Garrick Club and Royal West Norfolk Golf Club – memorably described in certain quarters as “hideous”.

Boal's interest in the Law started at the age of 13 with a visit to Eastbourne Magistrates Court to see the committal hearing of Dr John Bodkin Adams, the suspected serial killer and fraudster. In a successful career at the Criminal Bar, Boal participated in a number of high profile cases, including as junior defence counsel for Jeremy Thorpe.

His decade on the bench ended prematurely when he took the difficult decision to retire; his memoir, A Drink at the Bar, included details of his battle against alcohol addiction. He dedicated his retirement to assisting and supporting others with similar problems. He did so with commendable compassion and success. Died aged 78

L.J. CHEESEMAN, Elected 1966

Undaunted by wartime disruption (his family were made homeless for four months after they were bombed out), Leslie Cheeseman took a keen interest in sport, including cross-country running, rugby and, of course, cricket. He volunteered for the RAF at the age of 17 and it was while on a posting to India that he took up umpiring.

On his return to the UK, he trained as a dentist, enjoying a lengthy career which saw him rise to become president of the British Dental Association. His officiating career likewise flourished, beginning with Dorking CC, then on the panel of the Club Cricket Conference, before going on stand in Minor County and Second XI cricket and even taking charge of three Young England Tests. A particular highlight came at Lord's, when he umpired the Village Cup Final in 1973

On the administrative side, Cheeseman's influence was even greater and he served the Association of Cricket Umpires (ACU) in a number of roles for over 40 years. He began as an umpire instructor, his enthusiasm soon rewarded with duties as secretary of the Examination Board for ten years. It was during this time that he (together with Derek Woolcott) devised the first LBW and No ball demonstration kits, which he delighted in presenting to umpiring groups up and down the country. The ACU was a large membership organisation by the time Cheeseman took over from Tom Smith in 1978 and he continued to shepherd the Association as its responsibilities grew, both in the UK and overseas, during nearly two decades in the role. Died aged 94

M.A. COLVILL, Elected 1977

Martin Colvill had an encyclopaedic knowledge of cars. He built Lotus kit cars in his spare time before he decided to rent an empty garage in West Horsley with lifelong friend Bobby Bell. They established the car dealership Bell & Colvill in 1970. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Colvill was also a keen racing driver. His first event was at Silverstone in 1977 and he ran an AC Cobra in his first championship the following year, where he won in his class. He became a full member of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) in 1989, later serving nine years as a director and secretary. He was awarded life membership in recognition of his contribution to BRDC.

Colvill enjoyed many different sports during his lifetime including rugby, cricket, squash, skiing and golf. He became the team manager for the British Winter Olympic Luge Team at Lake Placid in 1980. He also had a lifelong interest in jazz, building up a large collection of 78s, LPs and CDs over the years and making many visits to New Orleans. Died aged 81

A.G. COOMB, Elected 1966

Arthur Coomb was a fast-medium bowler and cavalier lower-order batter. As a National Serviceman he played for the Navy and Combined Services alongside Peter May, but not before appearing for Bedfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship when he should have been captaining the school 1st XI.

After moving to Norfolk in 1956 he continued to play for the county until 1963, captaining them on several occasions when Bill Edrich was not available. At the time he was one of few bowlers to take 100 wickets for two separate minor counties. In 1964 and 1965, his two most active seasons for MCC, he took 29 wickets at 9 00 apiece, including 5-17 and an innings of 83 against Framlingham College. He played for the Minor Counties against South Africa, India and Australia. From 1949 to 1955 he also played first XV rugby for Bedford.

Coomb enjoyed regular trips to Lord's to meet up with old friends, even when he retired to Cornwall in 1991. He spent much of his retirement pursuing his passion for sea fishing and generally messing about in boats. Died aged 93

P.D. CROFT, Elected 1958

Blues for both cricket and hockey at Cambridge, hockey for England and a low single figure golf handicap denote a very fine sportsman indeed. Such was Peter Croft.

A right-handed batter and occasional right-arm off-break bowler, Croft scored a fifty for The Rest against Southern Schools at Lord’s in 1952. He represented Public Schools in its annual match against Combined Services at HQ the same week, but was less able to show his skills, having the unusual misfortune to be run out in both innings. He went on to play 18 First-Class matches for Cambridge University and Free Foresters and a number of matches between 1956 and 1969 for MCC for whom he also served on the Grounds and Fixtures sub-committee.

Croft was a hockey Olympian for Great Britain in Rome in 1960. He was also an intrinsic part of the life of Surbiton Hockey Club, in his case for almost 70 years. Died aged 88

I.F.H. DAVISON, cbe , Elected 1976

Despite little support from the Government or much of the City, Ian Hay Davison made a considerable contribution to the modernisation of Lloyd’s in his three years as chief executive and deputy chairman in 1982, having been instructed to reform the insurance market by the Bank of England.

Studying at the LSE, Davison qualified as an accountant in 1956, taking third place in national exams. He had spent three years in Connecticut as a child evacuee and returned to America on graduation, a Commonwealth Fund scholarship taking him to the University of Michigan and an internship on Wall Street. He joined London accountancy firm Tansey Witt in 1959 and when that was bought by Chicago-based Arthur Andersen, he rose to become the managing partner of the whole UK practice between 1973 and 1983. His formidable reputation as an investigative accountant brought him the job at Lloyd's. Afterwards, he became an esteemed boardroom troubleshooter. In the wake of the 1987 Black Monday crash, he conducted a hard-hitting report on the Hong Kong securities market.

As well as a passionate train enthusiast and bellringer at Bath Abbey, Davison was also a keen lover of the arts, and a trustee of the V&A and director of the Royal Opera House. He was also president of the National Council for One-Parent Families, chairman of the mental health charity Sane and of the Wells Cathedral Trust, and a governor of the LSE. Died aged 91

A.R. DAY, Elected 1959

Alan Day played 129 matches for MCC between 1961 and 1988, proving to be an influential cricketer both with the bat and the ball. He scored eight centuries for the Club, averaging 46 32 and took 106 wickets at 16 49. One memorable match came at Reading College in 1970 where Day scored 106 and took 5 for 51. He took his 100th wicket for the Club against Lord Williams’s School in 1982 and made his final century, 105 against Whitgift School, in 1986, aged 50

He was unfortunate that his only First-Class match, for MCC against Ireland in 1968, was heavily rain-affected, meaning his five runs in the first innings were the only he made at that level. The match ended in a draw. Day also played five List A matches for Hertfordshire, which included a high score of 53 Died aged 83

C. DEAN, Elected 1958

At the age of 16, bowling slow left-arm spin, Colin Dean bowled 248 overs in the 1958 season to take 82 wickets (including 10 against MCC) at an average of 7 48 – a feat that remains the Highgate School record. He went on to play club cricket for North Mymms, Old Cholmeleians, Cryptics and Nondescripts, continuing well into his sixties.

He took up real tennis aged 40 and soon became a skilled player of the game. He was British and World Champion in “over age” competition, racking up a record for consecutive wins that also stands to this day. He played regularly at Lord’s and also at Hatfield House, where he became the first official club captain in 1984. He continued in the role until 2000, when he took over as chairman.

An able administrator, for many years until his retirement in 2010 he chaired the Tennis Committee of the Tennis & Rackets Association, where he helped apply computer analysis to the game’s handicapping system. A music lover, especially jazz and opera, Dean turned to golf in later years, which he played with enthusiasm both for MCC and Brookmans Park. Died aged 87

W.A. DONALD, Elected 1986

An opening right-handed batter who also bowled right-arm medium, Willie Donald played 58 matches for Scotland of which eight were designated First-Class. He captained his country against MCC at Lord’s and later in his career represented MCC against Scotland.

He was a man committed to Scottish cricket. In 2015 he served as interim chief executive of Cricket Scotland and from 2018 to 2020 as its president. He was also president of Aberdeenshire CC, taking an active part in ensuring that a robust strategy was put in place for the future development of the club and the return of international cricket to his home ground of Mannofield.

Donald combined summer cricket with football in the winter for Aberdeen University where, as a gangly striker, he rattled in goals, going on to feature in both Scottish and British university teams. He later played semi-professional in the Highland league for Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Huntly. In between all this, he took the first steps on what would be a successful business career, first with Citibank in Aberdeen before moving to London in 1983. He joined Bank of Scotland as head of e-commerce to return north of the border in 1995

He believed in the power of cricket to cut across generations and social divisions and in the sports beneficial nature both for children and the community. He worked tenaciously to promote the game and throughout his career made a point of taking young players under his wing. Died aged 69

DR. M.H. DRAISEY, td , Elected 1961

Michael Draisey was a lifelong lover of Lord’s, having watching cricket at the Ground since the 1940s. He would regularly travel up to London from Newhaven, where he was a general practitioner for over 45 years and an inspirational trainer of younger doctors. Draisey also served as a force medical examiner, working alongside the police.

In 1977, Draisey volunteered as a medic for the Newhaven branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) before becoming an Honorary Medical Advisor until his retirement in 2005. He would often assist crew members in complex medical call-outs and became chairman of the Newhaven RNLI branch. He also served as chairman of Piddinghoe Parish Council. Died aged 87

DR. D.S. ENGLISH, cbe , Elected 1979

Cricket has its share of larger than life characters but there are few to compare with “The Loon”, David English. Known and idolised by many of the leading cricketers of the modern age, his outsize contribution to the sport was through the motivating and highly successful Bunbury Festival, a week-long tournament for under-15s, which he ran for over 30 years. Of the 2005 Ashes-winning English team, no fewer than ten had attended a Bunbury Festival. In total, around 100 “Bunburys” have played for England and more than 1,000 have played First-Class cricket. English was a man who made the best of life and the possibility of enjoying it to the full. A varied professional career, including time spent as a journalist, music executive, actor and author, gave him an extraordinary contacts book. He put this to good use, harnessing the power of celebrity to raise more than £17m for good causes.

If his stories sometimes seemed tall, that notion was soon dispelled when noting the company he kept. Eric Clapton, Elton John, a Beatle or a Rolling Stone was just as likely to pitch up to play in the Bunbury Festival’s charity matches as cricketing friends such as Viv Richards or Ian Botham.

No mean cricketer himself, English joined the staff at Lord’s as an MCC Young Cricketer and played many matches for MCC and Cross Arrows, as well as one game for Middlesex II. Although he was unable to realise his personal ambition to play for England, his contribution to the national side was more than any one player could hope to achieve. Died aged 76

W.A.G. FRIEND, Elected 2007

Born in England, William Friend persuaded his parents to allow him to move from Harrow to complete his final school years at St Albans High School, Washington. America became his home (he attended university in Texas), yet he never discarded his important ties to his birth country. Prominent amongst these was his MCC membership and his desire to visit Lord's whenever he returned to London, often attending in the company of his father and brother, fellow Members both. He also managed to play cricket occasionally while living Stateside.

Friend's entrepreneurial talents, work ethic and his love of challenges were rapidly recognised and by the age of 27 he had risen to CEO of Bisnow Media. He was responsible for transforming what was a local events company into the world recognised company it is today, with its global status within the commercial real estate industry.

Friend, who married actress Bevin Prince, famous for her role in the television series One Tree Hill, had an innate ability to inspire and motivate people. Tragically, he was struck by lightning whilst out boating with family near his home in North Carolina. Died aged 33

D.C. HENDERSON, Elected 1971

Douglas Henderson arrived at Clifton College in 1968 as Master in Charge of Cricket to be informed that cricket was to be relegated to a minor sport. Not only did he turn that around at Clifton but he led the vanguard to retain cricket’s standing in all schools. He took a keen interest in players of all skill levels and backgrounds, knowing the beneficial effect this had on their wider education, as well as feeding the senior game.

On his retirement in 2003, Henderson became the schools’ cricket correspondent for The Times and editor of the schools’ cricket section of Wisden, naming Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor and Jos Buttler as his first three Schools’ Cricketers of the Year. He continued campaigning for good cricket and high standards of behaviour on the field and was a firm believer in the art of competitive declarations. In his youth a bowler of brisk seam and swing, he became one of only two bowlers at Trinity College, Dublin in the past 80 years to claim 60 wickets in a single season. Died aged 77

M.F. HILL, Elected 1972

Brought up on the family farm in Somerset, Michael Hill caught the cricketing bug watching his father play for local side Fiddington and watched his first match at Lord’s in 1946. Hill junior became a member of Somerset CCC in 1960, the start of a very long association with the club, as he went on to become chairman and later, president. He was deeply involved in establishing the star-studded Somerset side that would win the county’s first national trophies, starting a run of five wins between 1979 and 1983

A Kings Scholar at King’s School, Canterbury, he eschewed university in favour of a career in farming, immersing himself in local the local farmer’s co-operative and becoming Hayward (chairman) of the local Commoners Association. He enjoyed playing snooker and Friday night skittles and was also a committed Christian, invariably finding time to attend a local church service when travelling to Somerset’s away games. Died aged 88

MISS S.D. HILL, mbe , Elected 1999

Cricket has many quiet enthusiasts making their own special contribution to the game they love. Sheila Hill was one of these but a formidable one. A mathematics graduate from Somerville College, Oxford, her diligence and devotion to getting things right was reflected in her all-important input into the Laws of Cricket. In the mid-1990s she was invited to join MCC’s Laws Working Party, set up to ensure a co-ordinated approach to Law queries between the Club and the Association of Cricket Umpires. She was to serve on the group (which later became a sub-committee) for over two decades. She was particularly well suited to the role: her analytical mind and linguistic skills have ensured that the Laws are written in clear, easily understandable terms and without ambiguity.

Hill’s contribution to and love of cricket began much earlier. She had a long career as a wicket-keeper/batter, captaining her university side (for whom she also played netball) and making 30 appearances for Kent Women’s First and Second XIs over 17 years before moving back to Middlesex and throwing her efforts into Gunnersbury WCC. She moved into umpiring and scoring and had the distinction of umpiring the final match (incorrectly described by some as the Final which she would have been quick to correct) of the Women’s World Cup in 1973

Hill was at the forefront of the drive to recognise the vital contribution of umpires and scorers and was one of the first ten women to be elected to Honorary Life membership of MCC in 1999 Died aged 93

A.J.E. HODGES, Elected 2011

Andrew Hodges served the town of Guildford faithfully and long over the course of 35 years as a councillor, mayor and Honorary Freeman. He was a man respected by all and in demand for his efforts and contributions in worthy causes. He represented the Council on many voluntary bodies in the locality, from welfare groups for the homeless, disabled and infirm to the Yvonne Arnaud theatre and Surrey County Playing Fields Association.

He was a Chartered Accountant by profession, including nine years as finance director for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Scheme. After retirement, Hodges travelled widely, often timing his trips to coincide with Grand Prix races, as part of his interest in cars more generally – he owned and early MFG and a Morgan. His infectious personality meant he had a wide friendship circle and he enjoyed hosting guests to watch Surrey at the Guildford Cricket Festival. Died aged 73

GEN. SIR GEOFFREY HOWLETT, kbe , mc , Elected 1954

Born in India, in a decorated 49-year military career, Geoffrey Howlett rose to become Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces Northern Europe. Joining the Army in 1950, he was awarded an immediate MC two years later, when commanding an ambush party through thick swamp to attack a reported Communist terrorist camp in the Malayan jungle. In receiving his award he was praised for his aggressive, skilful and decisive leadership.

He transferred to the Parachute Regiment, seeing action during the Suez Crisis and undertaking tours of Cyprus, Kuwait and Bahrain. In 1971, he assumed command of 2 Para and oversaw four operational tours in Northern Ireland, including the controversial Operational Demetrius, intending to neutralise the IRA threat by internment. Roles in recruitment and training followed, including a spell as Sandhurst commandant, before overseas postings, first to Germany as GOC of the 1st Armoured Division, BAOR and later to Oslo in his Allied Forces position.

After retirement in 1989, Howlett chaired the Leonard Cheshire Foundation and became chairman and president of the Regular Forces Employment Association. and was commissioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. He was also vice chairman of the Naval & Military Club and a Freeman of the City of London. He excelled at cricket, keeping wicket regularly for the Army and Combined Services and playing for Kent II in his youth. He was president of Army and Combined Services Cricket and Stragglers of Asia CC. Died aged 91

D.L.S. IDDAMALGODA, Elected 1978

Don Lear Iddamalgoda’s life in England can be split in two parts: a successful entrepreneur, running garages and car dealerships in Norfolk until his first retirement, twenty years ago; then a chef and a significant part of Norwich’s culinary scene.

Iddamalgoda was born in Sri Lanka and attended St. Thomas’s College in Gurutalawa, where he showed promise as a wicket-keeper/batter. He arrived in the UK at the age of 25 with just £7 to his name, taking a job in a garage. Through his work ethic and natural confidence, he was not only appointed chief mechanic with a Volkswagen dealership but would become the company’s most successful salesman. Upon his retirement, he found a new adventure, becoming known as “The Bhaji Man” thanks to the success of his stall outside the Forum in Norwich. His chicken curries and side dishes became incredibly popular with the local populace.

Dependable and generous to a fault, Iddamalgoda sponsored many aspiring young cricketers, including England international Nick Knight, and worked closely with Lord’s Taverners. Died aged 87

FIELD MARSHAL THE RT. HON. THE LORD INGE, kg , gcb , dl , Elected 1970

Peter Inge was born in Croydon and educated at Wrekin College, where he excelled at cricket, rugby and athletics. After completing his National Service, he applied to train at Sandhurst and he was commissioned into the Green Howards in 1956. He served initially with the 1st Battalion in Hong Kong and Germany and was attached to the File Brigade during the Malayan Emergency. Unsurprisingly, given the prevailing political landscape of the Cold War and the Troubles, he found himself alternating primarily between postings in Germany and Northern Ireland for the remainder of his 32-year career. Appointed Chief of the General Staff in 1992 and Chief of the Defence Staff two years later, he was the last field marshal to serve in the Army (the rank becoming an honorary position). Both roles focused on UN peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and military reforms.

A man of considerable intelligence (he had deferred a place to read History at Cambridge), Inge took on a variety of roles on retirement, becoming a director of Racal Electronics and joining the advisory board of Aegis Defence Services. In addition to MCC, he was a member of Boodle’s, the Beafsteak Club, the Army and Navy Club and the Travellers Club. He was commissioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea and president of the Army Benevolent Fund, as well as being a trustee of Historic Royal Palaces. Died aged 87

A. JAIN, Elected 2006

For two decades, Anshu Jain was a towering figure at Deutsche Bank, helping transform a conservative middle-market lender in Germany into a Wall Street giant through his aggressive trading style. In 2012, he became the bank’s first non-white, non-German-speaking CEO.

Jain began his career at Kidder, Peabody & Co in the 1980s before spending seven years leading Merrill Lynch’s global hedge fund coverage group. He joined Deutsche Bank in London in 1995 and headed up the bank’s Global Institutional Client Group, before taking over its Global Markets division in 2001 and turned the firm into a trading powerhouse.

Captain of Deutsche Bank’s cricket team in London, Jain was often seen practising his forward defensive stroke at his desk, in stark contrast to his captaincy style, both as a cricketer and a banker. He was an early investor in the IPL, buying (and then selling) a 10% stake in Mumbai Indians and played a key role in partnering Deutsche Bank with MCC, first holding the sponsorship rights to the perimeter boards at Lord’s in 2004 before becoming a Platinum Partner. Died aged 59

A.J.N. JAMES, Elected 1972

Alywn James was a popular school teacher who inspired thousands of students through his love of classics, music and sport. He became an inspiration for thousands more as a musician following his return to his blues band Roll Wyn James after a severe stroke in 1995 left him paralysed on his right side and suffering aphasia.

James had taken an early retirement from a successful teaching career at Glenalmond College in 1992 to pursue his musical ambitions, touring the UK and Europe. After his stroke, he was unable to walk, talk or use his right hand, but following years of rehabilitation, he was able to record albums with his band at Scotland’s famous Riverside Studios. Through gigs and album sales, James and his band raised thousands for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and supported the MacKinnon Centre in Broughty Ferry, where he received care in his rehabilitation.

James was passionate about sport and coached Glenalmond’s first XI cricket side for many years. He played 16 matches for MCC between 1971 and 1987, bowling right-arm fast-medium to take 18 wickets at an average of 13 61, including 5 for 18 against Strathallan School in 1985 Died aged 83

R.E. KOERTZEN, Elected 2011

In an 18-year career as a professional umpire, Rudi Koertzen stood in over 100 Tests (bringing up his century at Lord’s) and over 300 ODIs, the first man to achieve either feat, and officiated as the Third Umpire in consecutive World Cup finals.

Born in Cape Province, he became a joinery apprentice upon leaving school, where he had excelled at sport, notably rugby and cricket. He played club cricket for Kimberley and De Beers, bowling right-arm medium pace – once taking 10 wickets in an innings – but it was as an umpire that he truly shone. Popular among players and fans, he was instantly recognisable, not just for his wraparound shades and wide-brim hat, but also the way he gave batters out, earning him the nickname “Slow Death”. He epitomised the Spirit of Cricket, earning widespread praise for turning down a match-fixing approach, so it was appropriate that his final Test match came, at Headingley, in the MCC Spirit of Cricket series between Pakistan and Australia in 2010

Koertzen’s career was not a career without controversy – he was in charge of the infamous 2000 Centurion Test between South Africa and England, and made a high-profile error in the 2007 World Cup final. But he never lost the respect and support of the players he officiated and was regularly named among the top umpires in the world. Died aged 73

G.W.W. LAVERTON, Elected 1959

Bob Laverton had not long left school when war broke out and in 1941 he was called up to serve in the Royal Navy, spending much of his time on convoy duty in the Eastern Mediterranean. D-Day found him in command of a landing craft, safely disembarking the Hampshire Regiment on Gold Beach near the Normandy town of Le Hamel. He and his crew required all their courage when their unarmed vessel beached itself and could not be refloated until the tide rose 12 hours later and he was subsequently awarded the Croix de Guerre.

After the war, he turned to banking (he had 42 years with Lloyds Bank) but remained in the Royal Naval Reserve, retiring in 1971 having attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He played cricket for Horton & Broadway CC and also took up fly fishing. In 1983, he co-founded the Rufuji Leprosy Trust, offering support to families affected by leprosy in Tanzania. Over the course of 30 years as the Trust’s financial trustee, he raised more than £1 25m, his philanthropic efforts helping to ensure that cases of leprosy in Rufuji District are now extremely rare. Died aged 100

N.D. LEIGH-PEMBERTON, Elected 1954

Douglas Leigh-Pemberton trained as a tenor in Vienna where he lived for four years, studying under Alfred Piccaver at the Vienna Music Academy. He drew much acclaim for his appearance as Lechmere in Owen Wingrave, an opera written for television by Benjamin Britten, having been offered the role when Britten heard him sing in the 1968 Edinburgh Festival performance of Peter Grimes. It was a part for which he had been given just three hours’ notice, having previously only ever sung it in German.

Leigh-Pemberton toured the world in a career that spanned five decades, performing as Count Danilo in The Merry Widow as well as Britten’s Billy Budd. He would go on to direct and produce operas on the world’s grandest stages, including the Coliseum in London and the Sydney Opera House. He wrote three books on opera and presented hundreds of broadcasts for the BBC.

Raised at Torry Hill, Kent, where he played cricket as an Eton Rambler, Leigh-Pemberton would maintain that his childhood hero was Kent all-rounder Frank Woolley and he took great pride in having witnessed Bradman score 102* at Lord’s in 1938 Died aged 93

V.P. MALALASEKERA, Elected 2009

When Kumar Sangakkara ended his 2011 Cowdrey Lecture with the words “today and always, I will be proudly Sri Lankan”, Vijaya Malalasekera joined the rapturous applause in total agreement, tears in his eyes. Malalasekara, in his tenure as Chair of Sri Lanka’s interim cricket board, had overseen a variety of professional challenges, including the restructuring of the board. He had a substantial impact on the success of the country’s cricket in the early 2000s, a time in which they had enjoyed a run of ten consecutive Test victories.

He was also pivotal to MCC’s efforts to distribute relief funds following the 2004 Tsunami, introducing the Club to the Foundation of Goodness, a charity which set up sustainable communities in the area most affected by the disaster. Malalasekara was voted Ceylon Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year before moving to the UK to study Law at Cambridge (he was called to the Bar at Inner Temple and the Sri Lankan Bar). He played 25 First-Class matches for the university, including three at Lord’s. His top score was 80 against Essex in 1966 Died aged 76

R.J.C. MALLINSON, Elected 1955

An athletic fielder at Fettes, Robin Mallinson later represented the Young Cricketers of Sussex and played for Middleton CC. He was a fine all-round sportsman, gaining a Blue in hockey and a half-Blue in rugby fives at Oxford as well as being a particularly accomplished golfer, winning the Open Golf Championship in British Guiana. He recorded a hole-in-one on the North Hants Golf Club’s eighth hole in his 88th year.

Born in Kashmir, Mallinson claimed to be the only student at Fettes to take geography, not yet on the syllabus, due to his extensive travelling experience. After Oxford, Mallinson trained as a Chartered Accountant, spending most of his career with Alcan Aluminium, where he was able to see more of the world as finance director in the Latin America region. In the final years of his career, he worked with Blue Circle Cement in Indonesia. Died aged 93

R.G. MARLAR, Elected 1955

Robin Marlar was a very fine off-spin bowler, winning his Cambridge cricket Blue from 1951 to 1953, captaining the side in his final year. He played with success for Sussex throughout the 1950s, proving an intuitive captain and taking 970 wickets at 25 22, but was never picked for England, unlucky to play at the same time as Jim Laker.

On his retirement from cricket, Marlar became an opinionated but highly regarded cricket correspondent for the Sunday Times, and also set up his own head-hunting consultancy. He was an iconoclastic and astute Chairman of Sussex in 1996 and 1997, and was first elected to the MCC Committee in 1999, later serving a decade on the Club’s Cricket committee.

Always likely to take the contrary view, Marlar was often proved correct. Despite a gruff exterior, he was a kind and generous friend and a stimulating conversationalist. During his eventful year as MCC President in 2006, he brought cricket in Afghanistan to public attention, by sending an MCC team to play the country in India. MCC lost, the captain, Mike Gatting, dismissed for 0

One moment of Marlar’s cricketing career is now almost an urban myth. Playing for The Rest against the Champion County, Surrey, at The Oval in 1955, he was asked to go in as nightwatchman by his captain, Doug Insole. Not pleased by this decision, having already changed into his evening wear, Marlar bowed to Insole’s demands and went out to face Tony Lock. Two balls later, he was back in the pavilion, stumped McIntyre bowled Lock for 6. “As I was saying,” he said to his captain on his return, “I am not a nightwatchman.” Died aged 91

R.W. MARSH, mbe , Elected 1988

Rodney Marsh was a fine wicket-keeper/batter who played in 96 Tests and 92 ODIs for Australia. He was regarded as one of the foremost wicket-keepers in the game, with his athletic diving catches a prominent feature, as well as an attacking, pugnacious batter. He had the best seat in the house for one of the world’s finest fast bowlers, his Western Australia (WA) and international teammate, Dennis Lillee. The scorecard entry of “Caught Marsh, Bowled Lillee” appeared 95 times in Tests, still a record for a bowler and fielder combination. Marsh’s tally of 355 Test dismissals was a record when he retired.

As with many Australian families, backyard cricket was a staple of Marsh’s early life, as he learned his craft alongside elder brother Graham. Rod Marsh quickly made an impact, captaining WA schoolboys at the age of 13. Saturdays were spent travelling to play junior cricket in the morning and senior grades in the afternoon. He made his First-Class debut for WA in 1968 scoring 104 in the second innings against a West Indian touring side that included Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith and Garry Sobers. He made a further 11 centuries, including three in Tests.

On retirement, Marsh moved into the world of coaching and ran the Australian Cricket Academy in the early 1990s, which produced the golden generation of Australian players, such as Warne, Ponting, McGrath and Lee. In 2002, ECB persuaded him to carry out the same role in England, where he instilled levels of professionalism that were newer to these shores. Despite being a hard taskmaster, he was fair and immensely popular, with his dry wit never far beneath his tough exterior. He became a successful England selector.

In his 2015 Cowdrey Lecture, he spoke eloquently of how he understood the Spirit of Cricket. To him, it was very simple: play within the Laws of the game, don’t cheat and enjoy it. He shared his surprise at the plaudits he received during 1977’s Centenary Test when, he recalled Derek Randall to the crease, the umpire having given him out Caught behind. Marsh stated that the ball had not quite carried to him on the full, so it could not be out. Before Trevor Chappell’s infamous underarm delivery to bring Australia victory over New Zealand at the MCG in 1981, Marsh was seen and heard to be strongly advising captain Greg Chappell that it was not the right thing to do.

A fine thinker on the game, he was a valued member of the World Cricket committee from 2012 to 2018. He played hard but fair on the field yet was the first to share a beer and a chat at the end of the day. To him, that was the Spirit of Cricket. Died aged 74

M.T. MCKAUGHAN, Elected 1990

Michael “Cracker” McKaughan played Grade cricket for Gordon District CC for four years while working as sportsmaster at North Sydney prep school Shore. When he arrived in England, he played for Beddington and Finchampstead, before becoming a Playing Member of MCC, appearing in 21 matches between 1991 and 1992, with a top score of 84* against Prior Park College. A fluid top-order batter, he approached the game fearlessly, with a wry sense of humour.

He became headmaster of Denmead School between 1997 and 2014 and, under his stewardship, the Hampton school established a reputation as one of the area’s premium boys’ preparatory schools. His career came before cricket at that point but he was never far from the nets or the school matches, passing his passion and enthusiasm on to many generations of his pupils. Never failing as an advocate for the sport, McKaughan was also the cricket representative on the board of the Independent Association of Prep Schools for many years. Died aged 68

H.K. MORE, Elected 1976

Edinburgh-born Hamish More was regarded as one of the finest Scottish cricketers of his generation. He was enthralled by cricket from an early age, fashioning a tiny bat and stumps to play alongside his own running commentary. He captained the 1st XI at George Heriot’s, where he was also in the XV. A technically-sound opening bat and occasional wicket-keeper, despite being offered terms by Somerset, he didn’t achieve a full cap for Scotland until 1966. He played 45 matches for his country, peaking in 1969 with a fine innings of 143 against MCC at Glasgow and a career best First-Class score of 89 against a strong Surrey attack at the Oval.

For MCC, he achieved the rare feat of 350 appearances over a period of 40 years, playing his last match aged 76. Amongst many highlights were a score of 98 and five dismissals (three of them stumpings) in an innings against Ireland in 1976, seven stumpings in an innings plus 108 against Batley Grammar School in 1996 and an innings of 60 at Chittagong on 1979’s MCC A tour to Bangladesh. In all he scored more than 4,000 runs for the Club at a healthy average. A confident and colourful character who was never afraid to speak his mind, More became a national selector for Scotland in the 1980s and briefly acted as team manager. Died aged 81

PROF. A.W. NIENOW, Elected 1967

On graduating from University College London (UCL) with first-class honours in 1958, Alvin Nienow began his career in industry but soon returned to academia, becoming an internationallyrecognised pioneer in Biochemical Engineering. He held professorships at four universities and was the recipient of Honorary Doctorates from two more. He published over 400 refereed papers and was cited more than 5,000 times.

Cricket was another lifelong passion, encompassing 1st XIs at St. Clement Danes School, University of London, Shepherd’s Bush, South Hampstead and Reading, captaining the latter at Lord’s in the 1979 Club Cricket Championship final. His third love was beer: as an engineer, perfecting large-scale brewing processes, and as a cricketer being an appreciative consumer. Discussing the engineering principles behind reverse swing while watching England at Lord’s was a more light-hearted crossover. Died aged 85

J.M. PARKS, Elected 1978

Jim Parks was the most successful member of a great Sussex cricketing family playing a 46 Test matches for England. His father, also Jim, played for England and with his uncle Harry the three, between them, represented Sussex in a total of 1,347 County Championship matches.

Jim Parks junior played a single Test match in 1954 as a specialist batter who also bowled leg breaks. He did not keep wicket until 1958, when he was persuaded to pick up the gloves by his county captain, Robin Marlar. From there he developed his skills sufficiently to earn an England recall in 1960, selected this time and thereafter as first choice wicket-keeper, preferred to Middlesex’s John Murray by virtue of the skill and consistency of his batting.

There was something comforting in seeing Parks coming out to bat, invariably at six or seven, and shepherding the tail. In his England career he caught 103, stumped 13, scored two centuries and nine fifties and took one wicket. Although a committed Sussex man (of which he became president), he was later persuaded by Brian Close, then captaining Somerset, to play in the West Country and spent four happy and successful seasons there, retiring in 1976. For MCC, Parks played in the then-annual fixture against the Champion County and on a couple of occasions against Cricket Club Conference. Died aged 90

G.E.C. PEASE, mbe , Elected 1950

The last surviving member of RAF 268 Squadron, Guy Pease staged one of the most audacious – if ultimately unsuccessful – escapes from German captivity of the Second World War. He volunteered for the RAF after leaving Eton in 1941 and overcame colour-blindness to qualify as a pilot. It was while attacking a goods train in Normandy in September 1943 that Pease was shot down and pulled from the wreckage of his Mustang bleeding heavily from shrapnel wounds and suffering from multiple fractures to arm and hand. Despite his wounds, he was persuaded to escape from a military hospital in Rouen by New Zealand-born Spitfire pilot Malcolm Sutherland. Sutherland’s wounds were even worse: he had just had one leg amputated below the knee.

Using a tracing made on toilet paper, the pair fashioned a copy of a guard’s key from an aluminium spoon. They stole back their uniforms, climbed down from a window using a rope made of bedsheets and blankets, scaled an eight-foot high spiked fence and broke for freedom. They were at large for four days until, cold and hungry, they were obliged to surrender. After being interrogated by the Gestapo, Pease spent the rest of the war at Stalag Luft III in eastern Germany.

After the war, he attended the Middle East Centre for Arab Studies in Beirut, where he became fluent in Arabic and became lands inspector in Khartoum Province, Sudan (where had spent much of his childhood). Born in North Yorkshire, he later settled in Australia and carved out a successful career in management consultancy. He was a member both of I Zingari and Eton Ramblers, for whom he served as secretary from 1956 to 1967. In later years, technology enabled him to maintain friendships from around the world and in 2022 he enjoyed 100th birthday celebrations at the RAF Club in Piccadilly as well as at home in New South Wales. Died aged 100

J.E. PHILLIPS, Elected 1959

John Phillips developed a love of sport at Haileybury, representing the school at rugby, tennis and athletics. Following three years of National Service, spent in Cyprus and Berlin, a career in insurance took him to London, Manchester and Melbourne before he and his wife Mary finally settled in Surrey. For many years he continued to play rugby at weekends for Old Haileyburians, latterly becoming a trustee. Golf was another passion: he was captain and later chairman at Worplesden he became first the club’s captain in 2009, then its Chairman.

The tragic death of his son Michael in a car accident, which also left his daughter Sarah with life-changing head injuries, led Phillips to found the Surrey branch of Headway, a charity which assists people with brain injuries. John was subsequently invited to become national Chairman of Headway and recruited Princess Diana to be the charity’s patron. The pair worked together tirelessly to promote the understanding of brain injury. Died aged 83

SIR ASHOK RABHERU, cvo , dl , Elected 2011

After fleeing political unrest in his birthplace of Tanzania at the age of 15, Sir Ashok Rabheru became a prominent business leader and charity administrator in the UK. He founded IT company Genisys Group in 1985 which started as a five-person company in Woking, and now has offices in three continents and employs over 1,000 staff.

For 25 years, Rabheru was deeply involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, first as a trustee then as chair of DoE UK and the International Joint Funding Board. Generous with his time, wealth and knowledge, he was an active supporter of many charities, including Combat Stress, Debra and medical research institutions at University College London and Imperial College, and several others at a local level. He never forgot his heritage, funding regular eye camps in Gujarat. Died aged 70

S. RAMADHIN, Elected 1969

Sonny Ramadhin was a special cricketer. He was the first player of Indian heritage to play for West Indies, being selected to tour after only two First-Class matches, and burst with brilliance on to a post-war England still suffering rationing.

Playing at Old Trafford in his first Test match, he and Alf Valentine, his long-term Test bowling partner, took all ten wickets in England’s first innings. Both appeared unplayable throughout the series (they took 59 wickets between them), and it is fair to say that England always thereafter played Ramadhin with great circumspection. For the first time West Indies came out on top in England, by three matches to one and the match at Lord’s gave birth to the celebratory calypso Victory Test Match, penned by Lord Beginner.

A small, neat man without a registered forename whose shirtsleeves were always buttoned at the wrist, Ramadhin played 43 Test matches for West Indies taking 158 wickets (a record at the time) at an average of under 29. He could, without discernible difference, bowl both off-breaks and leg-breaks and was nigh impossible to read.

His overall First-Class tally of 758 wickets was relatively low for the period, as the majority of his career as a professional cricketer was spent playing in the Northern Leagues, first for Crompton in the Central Lancashire League and finishing on retirement in 1982 for Little Lever in the Bolton League. At that time he made his home in Lancashire and lived there for the rest of his life. He played once for MCC, against Oxford University at Lord’s in 1961, playing with his close friend and former captain Frank Worrell and taking eight wickets. Died aged 93

B.J. REID, Elected 1971

Brian Reid began a 61-year connection with Brentham CC (as player, committee man, sponsor and president) in 1961 and was soon recognised as one of the quickest opening bowlers on the local circuit. He played an astonishing 1,016 matches for the club until his retirement in 1993, claiming 2,274 wickets at an average of 15 and helped them reach the National Club Final at Lord’s in 1972. His 542 wickets in the Middlesex league remained a record until recently, with Reid already aged 35 in the inaugural league season.

He toured Australia with the Club Cricket Conference in 1970-71 and Argentina with J.W. McAlpine’s XI in 1987-88. He also claimed 127 wickets in 71 appearances for MCC, spread over 24 seasons. In his final bowling spell – against Guernsey Island CC – he took 5-32 from 15 overs. Died aged 84

THE RT. HON. THE LORD REMNANT, cvo , Elected 1955

As a lieutenant on National Service with the Coldstream Guards, Jimmy Remnant was selected as one of 500 gold staff officers required to undertake usher duties at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Many years later, he advised the then Prince of Wales on the structure of The Prince’s Trust.

A genial man, who had participated in the wall game at Eton, Remnant qualified as a Chartered Accountant and went on to enjoy a varied and busy life as a financial adviser, investment manager and company director. His career covered the years either side of Big Bang and he found the regulation, rules and professional approach that followed rather harder to come to terms with than the more patrician approach adopted previously by the City.

Although Remnant never played for MCC he did once turn out against the Club, for Lords and Commons at Hurlingham Club in 1954. His cricket was mainly centred around his local club Wargrave CC for whom he played, captained and was president. Died aged 91

P.J.E. RINK, obe , Elected 1976

Paul Rink's love for cricket started at school in Bolton where he batted right-handed and bowled left-arm medium pace, later joining Green Lane CC. He joined his father in the family printing supplies business, Wolstenholme Rink, travelling the world as he managed the firm’s international arm and making friends far and wide.

Beyond business, Rink had a strong sense of wanting to put something back into the community. A proud Lancastrian, he involved himself in the Bolton Lads and Girls Club and became a director of its Foundation. He became a founder and, for over a decade, chairman of the Blackburn Groundwork Trust, a charity dedicated to the regeneration of the Blackburn and Darwen area. In 2008, Darwen Borough Council renamed a local road, Paul Rink Way, in recognition of his work for the local population. Died aged 81

MAJOR M.F.H. SCRASE DICKINS, cmg , dl , Elected 1958

Following a successful Army career in the Green Jackets, where he saw action in Malaya and Borneo, Mark Scrase Dickins joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and played a significant role in supporting Afghan resistance during the invasion by the Soviet Union six years later. He had been serving in SIS headquarters in London at the time and was sent to Islamabad to augment Britain and America’s intelligence services on the ground. In Ahmad Shah Massoud, he found a dynamic young mujahideen commander who became a legendary resistance leader – the “lion of Panjshir” – winning several key victories against the Russians, aided by Scrase Dickins’ operation.

Scrase Dickins was a key proponent of cricket in Afghanistan, having made a somewhat unexpected contribution to Any Other Business at MCC’s AGM in the late 1990s. Robin Marlar, who had come across Scrase Dickins during a brief teaching spell at Eton, enthusiastically took up the baton during his presidency, setting up a match between MCC and Afghanistan in Mumbai in 2006. Scrase Dickins became a senior trustee for the Sandy Gall Afghanistan Appeal, training Afghan professionals to provide artificial limbs and mobility aids to disabled people. He also served as president of St John Ambulance, Sussex, from 2005 to 2011 Died aged 86.

THE HON. A.A. STREET, Elected 1953

Tony Street was a leg-break bowler, which had served him well at school at Melbourne Grammar. He twice represented Victoria Country against the South Africans in their tours of 1952-3 and 1963-4 and might have played at the highest level, but for other priorities. Over a 30-year period he took 738 wickets for Lismore at 9 29 apiece, with 63 five-wicket hauls.

His renown, however, came not on the cricket field but as an elected member for Corangamite in Australia’s House of Representatives from 1966 to 1984. He held various roles during that time, including under Malcolm Fraser’s administration as Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations and for Foreign Affairs .

Street was Melbourne CC’s longest-serving member, at just shy of 90 years and had derived great enjoyment from his position on the committee, on which he sat from 1985 to 1998. The club underwent major changes during his time on the committee, including construction of the Great Southern Stand and the new Members’ Stand at the MCG. He was instrumental in setting up reciprocal relations between the Melbourne and Marylebone clubs, and treasured his visits to Lord’s (his first had come in 1946). In his address to the House after Tony’s death, Australian Premier Anthony Albanese, reminded his colleagues of how Malcolm Fraser, recognising his huge decency, once declared Street to be “the nicest person who ever lived”. Died aged 96

S.K. WARNE, ao , Elected 2009

Shane Warne was the greatest leg-spinner of all time, evidenced by his selection as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century. Born in Melbourne, he grew up playing cricket and Australian Rules Football, harbouring a desire to forge a career in the latter with his beloved club, St. Kilda. When that eluded him, he concentrated on cricket and was an early recruit to the Australian Cricket Academy.

After impressing with Victoria, Warne made his Test debut at Sydney against India at the age of 22. His figures of 1 for 150 belied what was to follow. It was his “ball of the century” – his first delivery in an Ashes series – to dismiss Mike Gatting at Old Trafford in 1993 that made Warne a global name. This was cemented further by his exploits as a player, coach and commentator in the ensuing 29 years.

He was a key member of Australia’s all-conquering team of the late 1990s and early 2000s, often as the only spinner who would tie up one end while the fast bowlers shared the burden at the other. His bowling partnership with Glenn McGrath was the most successful in Australian history. Warne’s lower order batting was more than useful, and he remains the leading Test run-scorer (3,154) without a century.

But it was for his astonishing bowling that Warne will be remembered. His repertoire of leg-breaks, googlies and flippers were joined over his career by inventions of balls such as zooters and sliders, arguably to question his opponents’ minds as much as their techniques – when facing Warne, you faced the man as well as the ball. He was Man of the Match in the World Cup Final at Lord’s in 1999 and took an Ashes hat-trick at the MCG, where he later became the first bowler to take 700 Test wickets. His name is inked-in on virtually any all-time World XI.

He was captain of Hampshire and Rajasthan Royals, with whom he won the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. He was Head Coach of London Spirit, keeping his strong connection to Lord’s after playing in the Tsunami Relief and Lord’s Bicentenary matches. He was a vocal member of MCC’s World Cricket committee, where he always looked to the future rather than to the past. His portrait, by artist Fanny Rush, hangs in the Pavilion, having been the subject of a memorable unveiling, which spoke to his cheeky sense of humour as well as his penchant for publicity. A cricketing genius who was both front- and back-page news, his sudden and early passing robbed the sport of one of its greatest characters. Died aged 52

DR. N.F. WHEELER ROBINSON, Elected 1962

As a teacher and a headteacher, Nicholas Wheeler Robinson encouraged his students to follow their genuine interests, no matter how eclectic, irrespective of whether they fitted into the curriculum. He spent much of the 1960s and 1970s teaching history at Wanstead High School before taking on headships in Ealing and Thatcham, Berkshire. In between those roles, Wheeler Robinson studied a master’s degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and later returned to complete his doctorate.

He took early retirement, disapproving of changes to the education system in the late 1980s, and turned his attention to supporting Music Camp, a venture established by his father in 1927 from the family farmhouse near High Wycombe. For up to ten days at a time, between 20 and 150 young people would be welcomed to Wheeler Robinson’s farmhouse and encouraged to make music free of charge.

He was a metronomic bowler for the Free Foresters CC and his village team, Great Hampden, for whom he once took all ten wickets in an innings – for just 12 runs. Died aged 85

The MCC Committee would also like to mention:

DAME CARMEN CALLIL, dbe

In an attic bedsit off the King’s Road half a century ago, Carmen Callil formed an idea for a company that would go on to transform the publishing industry and radically expand the profile of female literature. Virago Press, founded in 1973, celebrated women and women’s literature, providing opportunities for hundreds of female authors, including Margaret Atwood, Maya Angelou and Angela Carter.

The second page of its early volumes would bear the proud declaration that “Virago is a feminist publishing company.” As well as the feminist ideals, Callil saw the potential of an unexploited market, publicising female literature through mass-marketing techniques. Through the enduringly popular Virage Modern Classics, the company went head-to-head with distinguished publishing house Penguin, introducing audiences to previously unknown female writers such as Rebecca West and Antonia White.

Named after Bizet’s heroine, Callil was born in Australia and, following graduation from Melbourne University, moved to London in 1960. She worked as a publicist for a variety of publications, including counterculture newspaper Ink and the now-iconic feminist magazine Spare Rib before co-founding Virago.

A great lover of cricket, Callil joined the waiting list for MCC membership in 2011 and enjoyed a spell as an Associate Member. Her 80th birthday party, celebrated in the Long Room, was a memorable event. As distinguished novelists and senior editors rushed from the Pavilion to the Tavern to catch glimpses of the England football team’s World Cup semi-final match in 2018, Callil saved the day, arranging for the match to be shown in the Long Room Bar. Died aged 84

E.G. CLARK

The vast majority of Members entering the Pavilion at any point in the last two decades will have been welcomed through the doors by Ted Clark. His ubiquitous presence provided the reassuring continuity for which MCC is renowned.

Clark was one of the Pavilion Stewards whose match day task is meet and greet visitors and generally ensure all is well. He carried out those duties with aplomb but he was also one of a smaller group of dedicated individuals who man the Pavilion year-round, helping to keep the constant round of meetings, events and tours going, day and night.

Clark joined MCC in 1999 as a gentle post-retirement job after a lifelong career as a postmaster in Bromley. In reality, it was anything but part-time: his prior organisational experience made him a natural choice to take on supervisory duties and he would frequently find himself covering the less popular shifts. His time coincided with a period of considerable change at the Club and for the Pavilion in particular, as the building underwent a complete refurbishment and the decision to bring catering back in-house saw its usage grow exponentially.

Clark’s well-developed sense of humour meant that even an upbraiding (and there were many!) was warmly received by Members and colleagues alike. He retired a second time in 2022, moving to be near family in Scotland, having served MCC with distinction for over two decades. Died aged 83