Cricket: Vote backs MCC committee

THE MCC committee won a vote of confidence with a majority of some 81 per cent last night after a special general meeting was called at Lord's.

Two key resolutions were being debated by the membership, including a vote of confidence and a rule change to guarantee MCC members free entry to any match at Lord's in future. In the first vote, 7,081 postal votes were cast with 5,736 for the committee to continue their efforts and 1,345 against.

The MCC president, Tony Lewis, said afterwards: "I'm delighted that MCC members have given this committee such solid support. This debate has consumed precious time and deflected us from our work in many areas."

On the second vote - to give the right of the membership to have free admission to the ground unless members vote otherwise - 95.5 per cent of votes cast were for the motion.

n David Graveney has been reappointed as England's chairman of selectors for a further two years. Graveney, whose initial two-year tenure ends on 31 August, will remain in the post until the end of the 2001 season.