Test Match Special presenters to deliver 2025 MCC Cowdrey Lecture

BBC Test Match Special presenters will deliver the 2025 Marylebone Cricket Club Cowdrey Lecture.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan and BBC chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew will open the show on 3 April in the Nursery Pavilion at Lord’s.

They will then be joined by fellow commentators, former England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent and former England spinner Phil Tufnell.

The annual event, named after the late England batter Colin Cowdrey and also referred to as the Spirit of Cricket lecture, features prominent figures in cricket discussing issues in the sport.

Vaughan, who led England in 51 Tests, is set to discuss the future of Test cricket.

“We were delighted to be asked to host the 2025 Cowdrey Lecture,” said the TMS team.

“When you look through the list of previous speakers, so many legends of cricket have delivered the lecture, and we are honoured to be following in their footsteps for what we hope will be an entertaining evening of cricket conversation.”

Since first being held in 2001, the lecture was usually delivered by one person but this is the second year in a row it will be hosted by more than one keynote speaker – after the BBC’s Tailenders podcast delivered the 2024 lecture.

Test Match Special has provided ball-by-ball coverage of England matches since 1957.

Agnew, who played three Tests for England in the 1980s, was the BBC’s cricket correspondent from 1991 before moving into his current chief commentator role last year.

Rainford-Brent was the first black woman to play for England and in 2009 won the women’s 50-over and T20 World Cups and retained the Ashes. She has since helped found the African-Caribbean Engagement Programme (ACE) to build grassroots cricket programmes for young people in black communities across the UK.

Tufnell took 121 wickets in 42 Tests for England and has been part of the TMS team since 2003.