Blofeld warns he could walk if Lord’s axes classic games

Veteran TV commentator claims MCC has got rid of traditional fixtures in a ‘nasty and ‘underhand’ way

HENRY BLOFELD has threatened to quit the Marylebone Cricket Club over its plans to scrap the historic Eton versus Harrow and Oxbridge matches.

The former commentator and voice of the BBC’S Test Match Special for decades represented Eton and later Cambridge in both fixtures.

Blofeld, 82, said the “bonkers” decision subverted the cricketing values of “honesty and loyalty”.

The public schoolboys’ match was first played in the year of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, while the traditional university match, which began in 1827, has provided a stage for emerging talent including Mike Brearley and Ted Dexter.

Blofeld, who has been a member of the MCC since 1959, told The Times of his “love” for the institution but said the move had been pushed through in a “nasty” and “underhand way”.

The MCC announced in February that it planned to torch two centuries of tradition to make way for a “wider range of players”.

Guy Lavender, chief executive of the MCC, told members there were only a limited number of matches that Lord’s could host and the decision had been made based upon five “principles”, including a “greater diversity” of teams, more school finals, and more matches for women, juniors and MCC members.

Blofeld said: “I’ve always loved the MCC. To play cricket implies honesty and loyalty and the committee should be the epitome of everything cricket stands for. I do feel for the first time that the club is not coming clean and is going behind my back.

“Dropping these two fixtures has been done in an underhand way without consulting the members. There is a nasty taste to this.

“You can’t tell me the committee can’t find room in the fixture list for two student matches. To destroy a fixture going back to 1805 is bonkers and to give the reason as there not being enough room in the summer to play it is palpably untrue.

“Eton, Harrow, Oxford and Cambridge all played a huge part in the foundation of MCC and the club is something to be revered.

“The arrival through the post of my membership pass each spring has been one of life’s great thrills.

“But I’m not sure fair play does start at Lord’s now.”

Blofeld is poised to speak this week at a proposed special general meeting to try and reverse the MCC’S decision on the matter.

Mike Hall, a life member of the club, is due to meet two committee members and the assistant chief executive to discuss the issue this week.

If no resolution is found, Mr Hall will submit a petition with more than 200 members’ names – including Blofeld’s – to the club forcing a special general meeting.

“If an acceptable compromise cannot be found I will consider resigning,” Blofeld said.

Both Harrow and Eton previously declared themselves to be “naturally disappointed” by the decision but thanked Lord’s for the privilege of playing there up to this year.

The MCC said that this year would see the last of such historic matches.

In a letter to members, Mr Lavender said the “fixture list has evolved over the years but this has been an organic process” and that the axing of the public school and university matches was “not a decision which was taken lightly”.

Mr Lavender insisted: “This decision did not arise as a result of any ‘anxiety to kowtow to the woke police’ as recently reported in the media.

“I have no doubt that members wish to enable young people to play at Lord’s based on their talent and success in reaching the finals of competitions.

“Faced with constraints on the number of matches able to be played on the main ground, the committee made this decision in support of this aim.”

Mr Hall wrote to Mr Lavender earlier this year calling on the cricket committee to “resign and hang their heads in shame”.