MICK HUNT

It has been announced that Mick Hunt - the former MCC head groundsman of 49 years - has passed away.

Mick joined the Lord's groundstaff in December 1969 and became head groundsman in 1985. He stepped down from the role in 2018, after a career that CricInfo says "spanned 81 Test matches, more than 80 men's and women's limited-overs games (including eight World Cup finals across formats) and countless county fixtures for Middlesex."

Writing on the Middlesex CCC website, England legend Angus Fraser paid tribute to Mick. He wrote, "To say that Mick was a character would be an understatement. He was an absolute legend. It would also be fair to say that he wasn’t the easiest person to manage. He had his views on what needed to be done and stuck to them. But he cared deeply for the turf he looked after for 49 years, and did his upmost to ensure it looked and played immaculately, no matter the importance of the game that was taking place."

He continued, "Lord’s contains many devoted workers so naming the person that has spent the most time at the ground is a difficult task. It is hard to believe, however, anyone has spent more time on and cared more deeply for the turf that us cricketers have played on. In time it would be nice to think that his hours of love and care for the place are recognised in the same way as others."