The chief executive of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has urged members to attend the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s on Sunday, despite England qualifying after defeating South Africa in Thursday’s semi-final.
In a letter to members, MCC chief executive and secretary Robert Lawson insisted it was “vital to MCC’s reputation” to avoid a repeat of the criticism the club faced during the 2017 Women’s World Cup final.
Although around 24,000 spectators packed Lord’s to watch England’s dramatic nine-run win over India, the members-only sections of the pavilion were noticeably sparse, attracting widespread criticism from both members and the media.
The issue was revisited during the MCC special general meeting held in July last year when the ticketing arrangements for this year’s tournament were discussed. Club officials acknowledged that a similar situation during Sunday’s final would have far greater reputational consequences.
MCC has faced increasing scrutiny over gender equality in recent years. In 2023, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) criticized the club, saying that the “home of cricket” was “predominantly a home for men”.
Only women were admitted to MCC membership in 1998, ending more than two centuries of male-only membership since the club was founded in 1787. Of the club’s approximately 18,350 full members, less than three percent are women.
The ICEC report described it as “truly appalling” that England Women have never played a Test match at Lord’s. That will change next week when England host India at a historic venue.
Lawson called on members to support both the club and the women’s game as Sunday’s final approaches.
“On Sunday, we have the honor of hosting the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup,” Lawson wrote. “Australia continued to dominate yesterday’s semi-final. We look forward to welcoming them to Lord’s this weekend. We will find out whether England or South Africa join them tomorrow evening.
“We can expect a very high-quality match this Sunday. Regardless of which teams make it to the final, I urge you to show your continued support for the game and your club by attending the match using your ticket(s).
“When there was a clear disparity between the general stands and the less occupied pavilion at the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s, it is vital to the MCC’s reputation that that situation does not recur. The same principle applies to Friends of Members.”
Lawson asked the club to notify members that their seats would be reassigned because they could not attend.
“If you decide not to attend, please let us know and we will do our best to fill your vacated spot,” he added.
The tournament attracted record support across England, including 27,000 at Lord’s during Sunday’s group-stage double-header, in which South Africa booked their semi-final spot with victory over Bangladesh before India were beaten by Australia.
More than 160,000 tickets were sold across the tournament, setting a new attendance record for a women’s ICC event and more than double the total recorded during the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England.
For the women’s matches at Edgbaston, 18,814 fans saw India take on Pakistan and 21,018 for England’s clash with New Zealand at The Oval.
Competition director Beth Barrett-Wild praised the public’s response to the event.
“It’s incredible,” Barrett-Wild said. “We set out on a mission to bring women’s cricket into the mainstream and we’ve seen record crowds over the last three weeks. I feel we’ve definitely delivered.”