At the end of what proved to be a really exciting and successful cricket season at Lord’s last year (the highlight for us being the India Test and ODI), the Academy was closed for a short period for refurbishment.  This included all new ‘Supergrasse’ pitches and surrounding surfaces, more efficient and ‘greener’ lane lighting, flexible new nets, and brightened up new dressing rooms.

To coincide with the launch of these refurbished facilities, we were delighted with the news that Fraser Stewart was to become the new Academy Manager.  Fraser has been with the MCC for over seven and a half years, as Cricket Office Manager and then Laws and Universities Manager.  These previous roles mean that Fraser comes to the Academy as a font of knowledge and ideally placed to ensure that as well as functioning as a world-class Academy, it becomes the central hub of all things related to cricket development, including:

- The safe and robust guardianship of the Laws of Cricket

- The promotion and outreach programmes associated with the Spirti Cricket

- The continued administration and liaison with the World Cricket Committee

- MCC’s Youth Cricket Strategy with MCC Universities and MCC Young Cricketers

The renaming of the Academy (from the Indoor School) last year signalled the start of a restructuring plan for the Academy and Nursery Ground to develop it into a world leader in cricket training, research and
technology. Fraser will certainly have his hands full over the coming months to help fulfil this vision.  Some of his immediate priorities include:

- Increasing the general usage of the Academy, particularly through programmes attracting younger users

- Reviewing operations in general and exploring opportunities for extending hours of operation, introducing a new online booking system, and re-examining the scope of the product offering including the current refreshment/bar area

- Working closely with the MCC Foundation and its outreach programmes to support gifted and talented young sports people from local communities

And then there is the overseas development.  In addition to working with Anglo Indian to help develop the MCC Academies in India, there is the ongoing promotion of the Spirit of Cricket at the IPL and the development of facilities in Abu Dhabi, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Fraser is more than up for the challenge. “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be joining the team at the Academy.  I have always been enormously proud to work for the MCC at Lord’s, and now to be part of the longer term vision for the Academy is a real privilege.”

MCC Academy – Facts and Figure

- The Academy nets are available on average 14 hours per day, 7 days per week.

- Over 1500 people use the Academy facilities during an average week – normally 50% of which are children.

- 70 hours of coaching take place at the Academy per week during the peak season.

- 30 groups of French students will visit the Academy from Jan-June as part of their London schools trip.

- 550 places are available each year for our ever-popular Easter courses (which date back to circa 1902).

- Regular famous faces in the Academy include, Andrew Strauss, Darren Gough, John Emburey, Angus Fraser and, last summer, Sachin Tendulkar.
Fraser lives in Kingston with his wife and two daughters – Lilly aged 3 and Chloe aged 2.  He has been a playing member of the MCC for 18 years.

When asked who his all-time cricketing hero was, he was quick to answer – Ian Botham (largely as they both hail from Yeovil and he fanatically followed the fortunes of Somerset as a youngster).  “The likes of Botham and others in the Somerset side at the time, like Viv Richards and Joel Garner, are the reason why I love cricket so much.  And Lord’s is the home of cricket and the most amazing cricket ground in the world” says Fraser. “I can still remember walking out onto the ground for my first MCC regional game in 2002.  It was the stuff of dreams.”

John Stephenson, MCC Assistant Secretary (Cricket and Estates), is also delighted with current developments. “The MCC Cricket Academy represents an incredibly important part of what we do here, and bringing in Fraser to help create this cricket-focused hub for training, research and technology was the perfect opportunity.  With the exciting restructuring here at the Academy, plus our extensive outreach programmes in the UK and overseas, we are ensuring that we continue to lead by example and embody The Spirit and Laws of Cricket.”

And on Anglo Indian, he added “Anglo Indian’s sponsorship has already brought a lot to the Academy – not least the eye-catching saffron signage!  We now look forward to working closely with them on developing MCC Academies in India”.

ANGLO INDIAN will soon be announcing the location of the first MCC Cricket Community development – including the first MCC Cricket Academy in India.  For further details, please info@angloindian.net.

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Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) today announced that Anglo Indian (AI), the real estate development and investment company, has become the first sponsor of the MCC Cricket Academy.  The four year agreement delivers a comprehensive package of sponsorship rights covering the constituent parts of the MCC Cricket Academy – the Indoor Cricket School, Nursery Ground and MCC Young Cricketers Squad – and is the first deal of its kind in MCC’s 224-year history. 

In another historic first, a brand licence agreement has been signed between MCC Overseas Limited (MCCO), a newly incorporated subsidiary of MCC, and Anglo Indian.  MCCO has licensed Anglo Indian the right to use some of MCC’s marks in India in connection with a range of high quality cricket facilities – each branded and inspired by MCC and Lord’s – to be built in up to twelve new residential communities.

These new communities will be developed and operated entirely by Anglo Indian, in up to twelve locations from Delhi in the north to Bangalore in the south of India.  All will follow similar lines with an MCC branded cricket academy and ground, together with an MCC Lord’s branded members’ club.  MCCO’s role will be to ensure that MCC’s marks, under licence to AI, are used in the agreed form and to the high standards associated with the Club as set out in the agreement. 

Keith Bradshaw, MCC Secretary & Chief Executive, said:

“We are thrilled to welcome Anglo Indian as the first sponsor of the MCC Cricket Academy at Lord’s.  Their support will help us to continue to invest in our top-class practice facilities and the MCC Young Cricketers set-up, which has a great record in producing professional players.  We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Anglo Indian in the years to come.  

“With regard to the separate brand licence, MCC has not lightly embarked on the creation of MCCO, the entity responsible for this new agreement with Anglo Indian.  The opportunity to license the exploitation of MCC’s marks in India has been under consideration for some time, and we have very carefully evaluated a number of opportunities presented to the Club.  Anglo Indian’s vision for new cricket-themed communities in India is an attractive proposition because it is a thorough, innovative proposal that offers a platform positively to showcase everything that the MCC and Lord’s brands stand for.  This is an exciting project for MCCO, in a cricket-loving nation, and we are confident that Anglo Indian will attract significant investment for their plans over the next decade.”

Simon Reid, Chairman of Anglo Indian, said:

“It is enormously exciting to have signed this brand licence agreement.  The MCC and Lord’s brands are revered the world over and we are delighted to be part of taking them to India for the first time.  It’s a nation with such a passion for cricket and we look forward to our new communities being an integral part of this.   At the ‘Home of Cricket’ we are also proud to be the first ever sponsors of the MCC Cricket Academy, which perfectly complements our activities in India.”

Anglo Indian is actively negotiating agreements with developers and landowners in multiple locations across India.  The development schedule will vary according to the scale of individual projects, but will generally take two to three years from commencement to completion, starting with the building of the MCC Cricket Academy, the members’ club and associated retail and hospitality facilities, around which the serviced apartments and villas will be planned.  

There are a number of income streams from which MCCO is entitled to earn royalties.  These include the sale and rental of residential units, subscription fees for the members’ club and branded merchandise. 

 - Ends -

Notes to editors:

Imagery of the proposed Anglo Indian developments in India can be viewed by clicking on www.angloindian.net

About MCC

Founded in 1787, MCC is the guardian of the Laws and Spirit of Cricket and an innovative independent voice in the world game. It is also the world’s most active cricket-playing club and the owner of Lord’s – The Home of Cricket. The Club plays around 500 games each year at home and abroad, against teams ranging from schools to international sides. 

MCC strives to ensure the health of the game from the school field to the international arena, from running coaching sessions for youngsters to undertaking research into the future health of Test cricket.

About the MCC Cricket Academy

The MCC Cricket Academy is an elite training facility at Lord’s Cricket Ground.  Used by amateurs and professionals alike, it provides coaching and analysis for cricketers of all ages playing school, university, club, county and Test level cricket.

About MCC Young Cricketers

The MCC Young Cricketers are a group of sixteen cricketers selected every year.  In offering world-class facilities and top coaching at Lord’s, MCC aims to develop their cricket and turn them into First-Class professionals.  Coached by former England all-rounder, Mark Alleyne, the MCC YCs have a strong track record in producing professional players – including current international captains Darren Sammy (West Indies), Ross Taylor (New Zealand) and Will Porterfield (Ireland). 

About Anglo Indian

Anglo Indian was founded in 2005 in preparation for Foreign Direct Investment into the Indian real estate sector.  The company concentrates on large scale land acquisition and development partnerships in designated Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in India.  Where Anglo Indian is different is the unique and collaborative nature of its developments, and the long-term vision to introduce highly prestigious and established educational, sporting and lifestyle brands. Anglo Indian is working with leading private equity real estate investors, institutional funds, architects, planners, and developers to acquire land and instigate development strategies.

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This sponsorship agreement marks the start of a number of Interesting Developments for ANGLO INDIAN this year. To be the first to receive news announcements, subscribe here via Email or RSS Reader.

The MCC Cricket Academy is an institution at Lord’s Cricket Ground. For decades the ‘Indoor School’, as it was affectionately known, was the launch pad for many successful professional and amateur cricket careers. The Academy provides eight lanes of nets, an analysis suite with the latest HawkEye technology, spectators’ viewing gallery, bar and seating area, fitness room, and male and female changing rooms. Most importantly, it truly is a place of learning for youngsters, not just in how to bat, bowl and field, but in how to develop important life skills such as teamwork, encouragement, determination and the MCC’s core tenet of ‘play hard, pay fair’.

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Plus check out the England and India teams training at the ANGLO INDIAN sponsored MCC Cricket Academy at Lord’s: