MCC Head Groundsman Mick Hunt was invited to ring the five-minute bell before the MCC v Rest of the World Bicentenary Celebration match at Lord’s on Saturday 5 July.

MCC Chief Executive Derek Brewer said: "I am delighted to be able to invite Mick to ring the five-minute bell before such a prestigious game. His years of service providing outstanding pitches at Lord’s are unrivalled, setting the standard for groundsmen the world over"

"By ringing the bell Mick is representing all MCC staff whose dedication and hard-work behind the scenes is valued so highly, and continues to make this a world-class venue."

The ringing of the five-minute bell at Lord’s by an international cricketer, administrator or well-known enthusiast of the sport is a recent tradition brought in by former MCC Chief Executive Keith Bradshaw in 2007.

Mick Hunt was selected to ring the bell to reward his years of service to MCC, and to represent the other staff members of the Club.

In his 45 years working at Lord’s, Hunt has prepared pitches for 73 Test matches and 127 ODIs, including all seven World Cup Finals played at the ground.  He is the longest-serving member of the MCC staff, has worked at the Home of Cricket since 1969, taking charge of the groundstaff in 1985.

He rang the bell, situated outside the Bowlers’ Bar of the Lord’s Pavilion, to signify the imminent start of play of the fifty-over match celebrating the 200th anniversary of the current ground.

The match, saw Sachin Tendulkar’s MCC side take on a Rest of the World XI captained by Shane Warne, was played in front of a full house at Lord’s, and featured star names such as Adam Gilchrist, Brian Lara, Brett Lee, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Kevin Pieterson and Muttiah Muralitharan.

The sell-out celebration to mark 200 years of the most famous and iconic cricket ground in the world ended in a victory for the MCC team with Australian Aaron Finch (the only player not to have played at Lords previously or indeed in a Test Match - yet), scoring an unbeaten 181.

The occasion was however the winner with the players, officials and everyone involved making sure that those in the crowd, young and old, had an unforgettable day.