MCC began its final overseas tour of the 2024 season today, as a 13-man squad departed for Canada.
The squad left Lord’s this morning to travel to Toronto and will move on to Vancouver for a series of matches in what is the first MCC men’s tour of Canada since 2012.
In Toronto, MCC will face the Canada national side as they prepare for their ICC World Cricket League 2 campaign against Nepal and Oman, which begins later this month.
There will be three 50-over matches in this leg of the tour, with the format mirroring the One-Day Internationals which the Canadian team will be playing in the coming weeks.
All three matches will be played at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, which has previously hosted India, Pakistan and West Indies in ODI cricket.
The squad will then travel to Vancouver and face a Canada Development XI in a mixture of 50-over and T20 cricket.
In what is a strong MCC squad for this final tour of the year, there are several notable names who are included in the touring party.
MCC will be captained by the former Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell, who scored almost 14,000 first-class runs in a career spanning 16 years. He is included alongside James Hildreth who made 18,000 runs at first-class level for Somerset.
William Bosisto has experience with both South Australia and Western Australia and has also featured in the Big Bash for Perth Scorchers, whilst seamer Chad Barrett has a County Championship hundred to his name.
James Overy, Head of Cricket Projects, said: “Canada is always a popular tour for our Members. It will give them the chance to represent the Club against a nation that competed well at the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where they beat Ireland.
“Our squad is strong and it boasts four former MCC Young Cricketers, as well as a wealth of first-class experience. We hope that will not only benefit MCC on the pitch, but that it will serve Canada too, as we seek to share that experience with their developing cricketers.”
Captain Daryl Mitchell said: “It is always a pleasure and an honour to represent MCC, even more so on foreign shores. I can’t wait to experience what Canada has to offer both on and off the cricket field and will do my utmost to ensure the tour is a resounding success.”
Former Somerset batter James Hildreth said: “Playing for MCC in Canada is a true honour. It signifies representing one of cricket’s most prestigious institutions on international soil. I can’t wait to promote cricket, build friendships with local cricket communities, and showcase the spirit of cricket. I expect the cricket to be a strong standard and we will enjoy the battle!
“For me, representing MCC is very important. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to play cricket and the MCC overseas tours allow more people access to our wonderful sport”.
The squad for this tour is: Paul O’Reilly (Tour Manager), Daryl Mitchell (c), Aman Bailwal, Chad Barrett, Joseph Barrett, William Bosisto, Andrew Brewster, Steven Green, James Hildreth, Alex Jones, David Scott, Tom Simpson (wkt), Jamie Southgate, Nick Stevens (wkt), Paul Nicholls (Umpire).
The fixtures are as follows:
Tuesday 10 September
Canada v MCC
Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club – 50 overs
Thursday 12 September
Canada v MCC
Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club – 50 overs
Saturday 14 September
Canada v MCC
Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club – 50 overs
Monday 16 September
Canada Development XI v MCC
West Newton Park – 50 overs
Tuesday 17 September
Canada Development XI v MCC
West Newton Park – 2x T20 matches
Thursday 19 September
Canada Development XI v MCC
West Newton Park – 2x T20 matches