The second of three MCC Spirit of Cricket Awards to be presented at each of the ICC Europe Men’s Sub Regional World Cup Qualification events taking place across Europe this summer, has been presented in Denmark.

Hungary, for their actions in their victory against Estonia, are the recipients of the latest award, which is part of a new collaboration between MCC and ICC Europe. 

When Estonian opening batter Steffan Gooch tore his Achilles tendon whilst running between the wickets, Hungary opted not to run out the flailing batter as he fell to the floor, clearly unable to make his ground.

Not only did they choose to dismiss the batter, but they also carried him from the field of play so that he could receive swift medical attention. The actions of the team were applauded and as a result, Hungary were chosen as the winners of the award, with their National Team Manager Shiva Tadela later presented with the Spirit of Cricket Award by Fraser Stewart, Head of MCC Cricket.
The qualification events, which form part of the pathway to the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, are being held in Cyprus, Denmark and Finland. At each event, the award will recognise the individual or team who best embodies the Spirit of Cricket through their behaviour, actions or performances on and off the field.

Following the presentation of the inaugural award earlier this summer, MCC and ICC Europe are delighted to continue the initiative at the Denmark event, where players, officials, volunteers and organisers once again had the opportunity to be recognised for demonstrating the values of respect, fair play and sportsmanship.

As part of the most recent trip to Denmark, Stewart also held a seminar with local umpires on the Laws of Cricket, player behaviour, and worked closely with various teams to convey the message of the Spirit of Cricket. 

Stewart said: “It was a pleasure to present the Hungarian team with the Spirit of Cricket Award, for their actions in the match against Estonia. They were thrilled to be recognised for showing such sportsmanship in a close game, which they went on to win by only six runs.

“The trip overall was a huge success, and it was once again fantastic to see the development of cricket across Europe. We look forward to making the final award in the qualifiers next month.” 

The Denmark event represents the second of three ICC Europe Men’s Sub Regional Qualification tournaments taking place this summer, with a further award due to be presented at the final event in Finland in August.

The three awards are in addition to the main MCC Spirit of Cricket Award, which was created in 2013 by MCC and the BBC to honour Christopher Martin-Jenkins. In 2025, the award was presented to Mel Jones, Catherine Ordway and Emma Staples for their instrumental role in the evacuation of the Afghanistan women’s team to Australia.