Nominate your Community Cricket Hero and they could win a day at Lord's with Stephen Fry

You may recall MCC and The Cricketer running a competition called Community Champion in recent years. This time it's bigger – much bigger – and even better.

How does an afternoon at Lord's watching the first Test of the summer in the company of Stephen Fry grab you?

You may recall MCC and The Cricketer running a competition called Community Champion in recent years.

This time it's bigger – much bigger – and even better. 

An entire XI of Community Cricket Heroes will be entertained by MCC president Fry as his special guests, as England play host to Ireland during the four-day men's Test.

We want you to nominate the heroes of recreational cricket – individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the grassroots game and their community. 

The lucky XI will be chosen by Fry, Jamie Cox, the former Somerset captain and now an assistant secretary of MCC, and Huw Turbervill, the editor of The Cricketer magazine.

The nominations, now open, are being encouraged for people from all ages and backgrounds – from volunteers who go above and beyond for their club and community, coaches who are inspiring people on and off the pitch, or players who have overcome adversity to play the game.  

The campaign has been launched by Fry in a special video message.

Nominations will close on Friday April 28 with the selected MCC Community Cricket Heroes announced in the June edition of The Cricketer and on social media channels. 

Fry said: "MCC and The Cricketer's Community Cricket Heroes is a celebration of all that is wonderful about our game and the thousands of people across the country that make cricket what it is. These are the unsung heroes who epitomise the great things about cricket and the values of MCC. It’s a great opportunity to recognise them and to celebrate their invaluable contribution to the game."

Turbervill said: "It's been a pleasure to help organise the forerunner to this competition for the last few years with MCC. Now it's evolved into something even more exciting. We cannot wait to shine a light on more heroes of the recreational game."

The previous winners were Julia Farman (2017), Chris Mainstone (2018), John Reeve (2019), Caroline Carter (2021) and last year Duncan Holden, a champion of junior cricket on Hackney Marshes. The award did not run in 2020 due to the pandemic.

To nominate your Community Cricket Hero click here.

The closing date for nominations is Friday April 28.