A return to Lord's for Hellas

Hellas, or Greece as they are also known, will head to Lord's this February to defend their European Cricket Council (ECC) Indoor Championship crown. Hellas will be one of a record eight teams vying for the title between February 10th and 12th at the newly refurbished indoor school at St John's Wood.

The holders face Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Portugal in a bid to retain the title they won in Herning, Denmark last year.

Richard Holdsworth, the ICC's European development manager, explained that the event will be an important competitive opportunity for emerging European cricket nations. "The championship will provide a unique opportunity for players from eight of our member countries to play at the home of cricket," he said. "The indoor game is a frenetic 10-over six-a-side game but the techniques of batting, bowling and fielding remain the same and it stands players in good stead for progressing to outdoor cricket.

"Hellas has a good tradition of performing well at this level and they will be the team to beat again this time around. We are, of course, very grateful to MCC for allowing us to use their facilities for this important event."

Roger Knight, MCC's Secretary, said that MCC was delighted to expand its support of European cricket by hosting this event. "This will be the first opportunity for some of the younger European players to compete in London," he said. "It is always a thrill for any cricketer to play the game at Lord's and I wish all the teams, the officials and the supporters a most enjoyable weekend at the Indoor School."