John Emburey to lead MCC tour of Bahrain

Date released: 9 December 2005

The Middlesex coach John Emburey (right), who played 64 Tests for England between 1978 and 1995, is to captain an MCC tour of Bahrain; the squad will leave London next Tuesday (13th December).

The fourteen-man party also includes Darren Bicknell, fresh from a Championship-winning season with Nottinghamshire, and Glamorgan paceman David Harrison.

MCC was invited by the Awali Cricket Club, the oldest cricket club in the Arabian Gulf, to undertake this tour to celebrate its 70th anniversary and to help with the promotion of cricket in Bahrain.

MCC’s Head of Cricket, John Stephenson (right), said: “We were very pleased to be invited to visit Bahrain by the Awali Cricket Club. MCC is committed to developing cricketing talent world-wide, both in conjunction with International Cricket Council and as a club in our own right. I am delighted that John Emburey is leading this tour and that we are able to include players of the calibre of Darren Bicknell and David Harrison. I am sure that the tour will be a rewarding experience for all involved.”

ACC's President, Kevin Lovegrove, said: "It is with immense pride that we welcome MCC, with all its history, to share in our celebration of 70 years of cricket at Awali Cricket Club. The Bapco MCC Cricket Festival will take place at the newly refurbished Awali Oval and pavilion, which is currently without a doubt the best cricket facility on the island of Bahrain. We are expecting a large crowd of local cricket-lovers, who will relish the prospect of seeing their local favourites in action against such prestigious opposition".

The full MCC touring party is as follows:

Bob Baxter (manager)
John Emburey (captain)
Darren Bicknell
Jamie Butler
Alastair Fraser
Ian Flanagan
Ismail Dawood
Sanjay Patel
Richard Greatorex
Cliff Dare
Mark Patterson
Stuart Stoneman
David Harrison
Barry Dudleston (umpire)

This is the final MCC tour of 2005. Since January, the Club has also sent teams to Namibia & Uganda, Singapore & Malaysia, Finland & Estonia, France, Japan and Canada.