Photo Credit: Marylebone Cricket Club
FOLLOWING MEN’S TOURS OF SERBIA AND ROMANIA DURING THE ENGLISH SUMMER, THE MCC OVERSEAS TOURING PROGRAMME CONTINUED RECENTLY AS THE CLUB EMBARKED ON TRIPS TO BOTH ITALY AND UGANDA.
Overseas tours are a crucial part of the Club’s commitment to the global game and after the complications of overseas travel caused by Covid-19 in recent years, the Club has been thrilled to return to a regular touring programme in 2022.
The trips to Italy and Uganda took place in September and October, as the domestic season in England drew to a close. This year’s programme of tours will be completed with a women’s tour of Nepal which begins in late October.
The Italy tour was hosted by Federazione Cricket Italiana and comprised seven matches in 11 days, including three T20 matches against the Italian national side. MCC then played 40 over games against club side Roma Capannelle and a President’s XI, before rounding off the trip with two 50 over matches against Italy Under-19’s.
Former MCC Young Cricketer, Middlesex and England cricketer and international umpire Ian Gould was manager of the 13-man squad, which consisted of players from the National Counties Cricket Association and ECB Premier Leagues and was skippered by Sam Arthurton.
MCC won all of their fixtures – apart from one rain-affected match – and spent time coaching in schools in Rome, before moving on to Bologna where the squad opened a new ground.
Shortly after, a separate squad embarked on a two-week tour of Uganda, the first time MCC had toured the country since 2013. A squad of 13, captained by George Thurstance and managed by Simon Hinks, played six matches across a range of formats. The players were selected from the National Counties network to compete with Uganda, who are currently ranked 24th in the ICC Men’s T20 International rankings ahead of the likes of Italy, Kenya and the United States.
The side was beaten by a Uganda XI in the opening game of the tour but rallied to win the remaining games against Uganda Under-19’s, Ceylon CC, a Developmental Invitational XI and a Chairman’s XI, as well as victory over the Uganda XI in a two-day match. As with all of MCC’s tours, the squad spent time coaching aspiring age-group youngsters and local schoolchildren.
James Overy, Head of Cricket Projects at MCC, said: “Both the tours were a great success, not only from a playing side but away from the action where our players were able to spend quality time coaching youngsters and work with local coaches to help them assist with promising young players.”
The squads for the two tours were:
Italy
Sam Arthurton (Captain), Ian Gould (Team Manager), Eddie Ballard, Nick Anderson, Dominic Chatfield, Jamie Southgate, Aaron West, Rob Peyton, Jack Williams, Ashley Sivarajah, Alex Scott, Ben Ladd Gibbon, Oliver Bocking, Tuseif Mahmood, Bob Hampshire (Umpire).
Uganda
George Thurstance (Captain), Simon Hinks (Team Manager), Sam Burge, Ed Middleton, Jake Rowe, Andrew Brewster, Craig Marshall, Jonny Pears, David Murphy, Jack Beaumont, Harvey Booth, Jack Grundy, Oli Soames, Oliver Haley, James Middlebrook (Umpire).
The results were as follows:
Saturday 24 September
MCC v Italy (T20) at Aprilia Cricket Ground, Roma
MCC won by nine wickets
MCC v Italy (T20) at Aprilia Cricket Ground, Roma
MCC won by two runs
Sunday 25 September
MCC v Italy (T20) at Roma Cricket Ground
Italy won by five wickets
Wednesday 28 September
MCC v Roma Capannelle CC (40 over match) at Roma Capannelle Cricket Ground
MCC won by five wickets
Thursday 29 September
MCC v President’s XI (40 over match) at Roma Cricket Ground
MCC won by four wickets
Saturday 1 October
MCC v Italy Under-19’s (50 over match) at Ovale di Rastignano, Bologna
MCC won by 213 runs
Sunday 2 October
MCC v Italy Under-19’s (50 over match) at Ovale di Rastignano, Bologna
MCC won by 190 runs
Thursday 6 October
MCC v Uganda XI (50 over match) at Jinja Oval, Jinja
Uganda won by six wickets
Saturday 8 October
MCC v Uganda Under-19’s (50 over match) at Entebbe Oval, Entebbe
MCC won by eight wickets
Sunday 9 October
MCC v Ceylon CC (T20) at Entebbe Oval, Entebbe
MCC won by 27 runs
MCC v Development Invitational XI at Entebbe Oval, Entebbe
Monday 10 October
MCC v Uganda XI (two-day match) at Lugogo Oval, Kampala
MCC won on first innings score
Thursday 13 October
MCC v Chairman’s XI at Entebbe Oval, Entebbe
MCC won by five wickets
Name of Author: Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a historic cricket club founded in 1787, based at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London since 1814.
