Marylebone Cricket Club

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a world-famous cricket club founded in 1787, whose Lord's headquarters are dubbed "the Home of Cricket".

Lord's Cricket Ground has been owned since Victorian times by MCC, which served as cricket's governing body from 1788 to 1909 and retains considerable global influence. Thomas Lord first established a cricket ground at Dorset Fields in Marylebone. Lord's Cricket Ground relocated in 1814 to nearby St John's Wood, historically in Middlesex and now in the City of Westminster, London NW8.

In 1788, the MCC assumed oversight for the Laws of Cricket, issuing a revised version that year. Changes to these Laws are nowadays determined by the International Cricket Council (ICC), with copyright retained by MCC. Established in 1909, the ICC was administered for eighty years by the Secretary to Marylebone Cricket Club and chaired by the MCC President ex officio.

MCC was given responsibility for organising England Test cricket overseas tours commencing with the 1903–04 tour of Australia and ending with its 1976–77 tour of India, both being victorious. England also played non-international matches overseas under the auspices of MCC.

In 1993, MCC transferred global cricket governance to the International Cricket Council (ICC), devolving domestic administration to the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB).

Retaining first-class status when MCC plays first-class opposition, the club continues to promote the game by fielding ad hoc MCC XIs from a pool of circa 2,000 playing members, varying standards accordingly.

The outgoing MCC President, the Lord King of Lothbury KG, nominated Ed Smith as his successor for 2026.