MCC enters joint commercial venture

At a time when many things in cricket are changing - central contracts, more and more international cricket, the newfangled Twenty20 Cup - you could always rely on MCC to remain the same. Until now, that is. For the first time in its 216-year history, MCC has entered into a joint commercial venture.

The other half of this enterprise is the Australian company Albion, the leading manufacturer of cricket headgear. By teaming up with Albion, MCC will become the exclusive distributor of caps, hats and helmets across England and Europe. And according to MCC, the joint venture reflects its commitment to increasing commercial income which can be ploughed back into the game.

Albion's products include the Baggy Green caps worn by the Australian Test team, the popular "Greg Chappell" wide-brimmed sunhat used by many club and Test players, and the special caps made to mark the Centenary of Federation during Australia's Test against West Indies at Sydney in January 2001. Albion also produced the distinctive skull cap worn by the Australians to mark the first Test of the 21st century. As well as caps, they supply international players from all round the world with helmets and sunhats.

Roger Knight, MCC's chief executive, said: "We are delighted to be joining forces with a company of Albion's calibre. Its Baggy Green is the most famous cricket cap in the world; we believe that its helmets are the world's best; and its sunhats have led the way in providing players, around the world, with excellent protection from the sun. This venture is an exciting new development for everyone involved." The commercial venture will be formally launched at Lord's on Friday October 3.