Making a difference: MCC launch 2024 Community Cricket Heroes campaign

Marylebone Cricket Club and The Cricketer have launched the Community Cricket Heroes campaign for 2024… the quest is on to find 11 more unsung cricket heroes from across the country

The campaign, which is now in its second year and is the successor to the Community Champion award, saw 11 heroes of grassroots cricket welcomed to Lord's last June for the first day of the England v Ireland men's Test, watching on from the prestigious president's suite.

Last year's winners included Lachlan Smith, the founder of Birmingham Unicorns, one of the world's only LGBTQ+ cricket clubs; Taj Butt, a groundsman from Bradford who has driven girls' cricket participation and used cricket to support the education of young people in his local community; and Sheena Recaldin, who helped save her local village club in Kent following the pandemic.

Another one of last year's winners, James Worstead, from Sussex, who helped develop a cricket club for refugees in Northern France, said of his experience last year: "It was my first ever trip to Lord's, a place I never thought I would visit. It was an absolute privilege."

This year, another team of 11 MCC Community Cricket Heroes will be chosen from the nominations by a special panel consisting of MCC president Mark Nicholas, Arfan Akram, Mike Gatting, Charlie Dean, Dr Sarah Fane, Lachlan Smith and Huw Turbervill, the editor of The Cricketer. The panel will be chaired by former England international and MCC chair of cricket, Claire Taylor.

To nominate your MCC Community Cricket Hero visit www.lords.org/heroes.

The panel will be looking for entrants who make a demonstrable positive difference to their community through grassroots and community cricket, from volunteers who go above and beyond for their club and community, to coaches who are inspiring people on and off the pitch, or players who have overcome adversity to play or help the game.

The winners will be invited to Lord's as special guests of the MCC president to watch a day's play from the president's suite at either the England v Sri Lanka men's Test which starts on Thursday August 29, or the England v Australia men's One-Day International on Friday September 27.

Nominations will close on Friday July 16 with the selected MCC Community Cricket Heroes announced shortly after.

Nicholas said: "Grassroots and community cricket is the lifeblood of our game and supporting and celebrating it is a vital part of MCC's role. As MCC president and someone who is passionate about cricket at this level and what it means to so many, I'm excited to be part of this year's campaign.

"I'm looking forward to hearing the stories of people across the country who are doing so much for the sport and their local cricket communities and of course welcoming this year's winners to Lord's later this summer."

Turbervill said: "It's been a delight to be involved in this campaign, and its forerunner. We've had some wonderful winners, from heroes taking cricket to far-flung places, to those using the game to give people hope and a second chance. I'm sure we will find a superb XI to be proud of this year."

To nominate your MCC Community Cricket Hero visit www.lords.org/heroes. The closing date for nominations is midnight on July 16.

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