MCC Young Cricketers in Second XI Championship

Hamish Marshall is a recent graduate of MCC Young Cricketer's programme © Getty Images

MCC Young Cricketers are to compete in the Second XI Championship from 2005.

John Stephenson, the former Essex and England allrounder who is now MCC's head of cricket, was pleased with the move. "It will be a great step forward," he said. "It will provide them with tough opposition and enable them to monitor their progress against cricketers of a standard to which they aspire. It will also give them the chance to put into practice the coaching they receive at Lord's, and to play in front of county coaches, ultimately helping them to gain a county contract."

The MCC Young Cricketers' squad is made up of the best young players from around the country, and occasionally from overseas, who don't have a professional contract. Recent graduates of the programme include Alex Gidman and Rikki Clarke, Hamish Marshall from New Zealand, and Darren Sammy from St Lucia.