Clive Lloyd to deliver the 2004 Cowdrey Lecture

Clive Lloyd is to deliver the 2004 Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's on July 19. Lloyd, the legendary ex-West Indies captain who is now a match referee, will become the fourth former great to give the lecture - named after the old England captain and MCC president Colin Cowdrey - following in the footsteps of Richie Benaud, Barry Richards and Sunil Gavaskar.

Lloyd was the first West Indian to appear in 100 Tests - he eventually played in 110, and also won 87 one-day international caps. He enjoyed an impressive record as captain, including a run of 26 Tests without defeat, and 11 successive wins. He was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1971 after a particularly successful season with Lancashire, and led the West Indies to victory in the first two World Cup finals, at Lord's in 1975 and 1979.

Tony Dodemaide, the former Australian allrounder who is now MCC's Head of Cricket, said: "We are delighted that Clive Lloyd has agreed to deliver the 2004 Cowdrey Lecture, following the previous distinguished lecturers - Messrs Benaud, Richards and Gavaskar. Clive has vast experience as both a top-flight player and an international match referee. I am sure this will enable him to provide his audience with a unique insight into the way in which the game is, and should, be played."

The Cowdrey Lecture is part of MCC's efforts to spread the message of the Spirit of Cricket more widely around the game.