MCC Urges Members to Pack Lord's for Women's T20 Final

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-07-03

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is making a direct plea to its members: show up for Sunday's ICC Women's T20 World Cup final at Lord's, no matter who plays. MCC chief executive Robert Lawson sent a letter to members who snagged tickets for the big game, making it clear that their presence matters for the club's reputation. This push comes because the club is worried about a repeat of 2017. Back then, the Women's World Cup final at Lord's saw the public stands packed with over 24,000 fans, but the members-only pavilion looked nearly empty. That contrast drew serious criticism, and the MCC doesn't want a rerun. England punched their ticket to the final with a 40-run win over South Africa at The Oval on Thursday. They'll face Australia, who won their semi-final earlier in the week. Lawson's letter, sent Wednesday, asked ticket holders to attend "regardless of which teams have made it to the Final." ### Why the MCC Is Worried About Pavilion Turnout The MCC has been under the microscope before for member attendance at big women's matches. In 2017, roughly 24,000 fans filled the stands for England's nail-biting nine-run victory, but the pavilion stayed mostly empty. That gap sparked public and media backlash. A 2023 report from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) called out the MCC directly. It said Lord's was still built mainly for men. The club didn't let women become members until 1998, nearly 200 years after it started in 1787. Today, out of about 18,350 full members, women make up less than 3 percent. That number keeps the spotlight on gender representation inside the club. ### A Historic Moment for Women's Cricket at Lord's The optics push comes as women's cricket gears up for another milestone. England Women are set to play their first-ever Test match at Lord's next week against India. The ICEC report had flagged this gap as long overdue. Lawson's letter called Sunday's final an honor for the club to host, noting the scale of the occasion. He also asked members to let the MCC know if they can't use their tickets. That way, the seats can go to other fans. The goal is to avoid the uneven look from 2017, both in the public stands and the Members' Friends' Enclosures. ### Record-Breaking Tournament Attendance This plea comes after a tournament that's already shattered attendance records for women's cricket. More than 160,000 tickets have been sold across the competition. That's more than double the turnout from the 2017 edition in England. Lord's itself drew 27,000 fans for Sunday's group-stage double-header. South Africa edged past Bangladesh to reach the semi-finals, while India got knocked out by Australia. Other venues saw big numbers too: * Edgbaston pulled in 18,814 for the India-Pakistan match. * The Oval had 21,018 for England against New Zealand. Tournament director Beth Barrett-Wild said the event has brought women's cricket into the mainstream. She pointed to the repeated record crowds as solid proof of that shift. For more sports news and updates, follow JeetWin Blog.