A Botany Bay Cricket Club legend will be heading to Lord’s next month to watch the England v Ireland Test match as a special guest of MCC President Stephen Fry as part of a campaign to celebrate grassroots cricket and the country’s unsung heroes.

John Jarvis, who has been coaching youth and adult cricket in Enfield for over year 50 years, was chosen from hundreds of nominations across the country to be one of 11 MCC Community Cricket Heroes for his outstanding contribution to grassroots cricket and his community.

Now aged 76, he still coaches the club’s colts every week during the season, and his enthusiasm and coaching talents have inspired many generations of Botany Bay cricketers.

The MCC Community Cricket Heroes were chosen by a special panel which included Fry and former England internationals Mike Gatting and Claire Taylor and will join the MCC President to watch the Test match, which starts on June 1, from the prestigious President’s Suite at the ‘Home of Cricket’.

The campaign, launched in March by MCC alongside The Cricketer magazine, encouraged the cricket community and public to submit nominations for their community cricket hero - from volunteers who go above and beyond for their cricket club and community, to coaches who are inspiring people on and off the pitch or players who have overcome adversity to play or help the game.

“We had an incredible response to the campaign and I want to thank everyone who sent in nominations and took part," said Fry.

"It really brought home the amazing work that it is done by countless individuals, many of them volunteers, to support our wonderful grassroots game.

"It was a hugely difficult task for the panel to narrow the nominations down and choose our final MCC Community Cricket Heroes, but John was a worthy winner for the incredible contribution he has made to youth coaching over the past 50 years. I’m looking forward to meeting and welcoming John to Lord’s next month."

Jarvis added: “I feel honoured, delighted and somewhat overwhelmed to have been chosen as an MCC Community Cricket Hero and will use it to encourage my colleagues at Botany Bay Cricket Club and beyond to get involved in coaching.

"The campaign is real recognition for so many people who support cricket at this level and underlines the commitment that MCC has to grassroots cricket.”