MCC

Marylebone Cricket Club, better known throughout the cricketing world as MCC, was founded in 1787 and is the world's most famous cricket club.

Today, MCC's role remains as relevant as ever. From guarding the game's Laws to safeguarding its Spirit, and from promoting cricket to young people to looking after Lord's, MCC is committed to the good of the game.

Last year, 2007, was one of the busiest in MCC's long history. The Club's teams played around 500 matches; they set off for overseas tours to destinations as diverse as Chile, Zanzibar and Papua New Guinea to help increase cricket's international appeal; and its women's sides had their busiest season so far.

At Lord's, 2008 is set to be a very busy year. The famous ground, known as the Home of Cricket, will host two npower Test matches and two one-day internationals (one of each against both New Zealand and South Africa); three Twenty20 matches (in which Middlesex will face Essex, Surrey and Sussex); a floodlit Pro40 match between Middlesex and Somerset; and the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy Final will take place towards the end of the season.

Looking to the future, MCC is investing heavily in Lord's to ensure that the ground remains world-class, as well as world-famous. For example, the Club is developing three portable pitches on its Nursery Ground and has installed a video analysis suite (including 'HawkEye' technology) in its Indoor Cricket School. The Nursery Ground and Indoor School are used for several research projects on matters such as glued pitches, illegal bowling actions and coloured cricket balls.

In 2006, MCC set up its own World Cricket Committee, comprising of many legends of the game such as Steve Waugh, Courntey Walsh, Rahul Dravid and Geoffrey Boycott. The committee's role is act as an independent voice international cricketing issues and to ensure that the game is run in the best interests of the game and its players.

In 2004, MCC decided to take over the funding and running of the University Centres of Cricketing Excellence from the ECB. The Club now invests around £700,000 per year into the Universities scheme.