Lord's looks set to host Eton-Harrow and Oxford-Cambridge matches for at least the next four years, despite recommendations from the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) that the traditional fixtures be abolished as part of the drive to increase diversity and inclusion.

Bruce Carnegie-Brown, MCC chair, said that regular discussions would continue but the MCC needed to find a balance between "respecting members' views, the club's history, and our commitment to enabling many more cricketers to play at Lord's."

"We announced in March that the annual fixtures between Oxford and Cambridge, and between Eton and Harrow, would be retained for a five-year period, with a review of the fixtures undertaken in 2027," Carnegie-Brown said. "In light of the ICEC report this is a matter we will need to continue to keep under regular consideration.

"Whilst this approach may not go as far as meeting the ICEC's specific recommendation, we believe that with all the initiatives MCC is supporting, both at Lord's and around the country, we are striking a sensible balance between respecting members' views, the club's history, and our commitment to enabling many more cricketers to play at Lord's."

While the ECB's response will include steps to hold grounds hosting England matches to mandatory equality, diversity and inclusion standards, chief executive Richard Gould said that did not extend to penalising Lord's for continuing to stage the traditional schools and university fixtures.

"That was one of those recommendations which we have no authority on," Gould said. "And so that's something for the MCC to take forward.

"We're not linking the staging of matches with that sort of element. We would much rather look in the round and in the whole, and see what impact clubs are having within their community as a whole. And we believe that this is a matter for the MCC and not the ECB."