From Ashes to maples: MCC tour to Canada

Date released: 15 September 2005

The former Northamptonshire and Derbyshire cricketer, Tom Harrison, is captaining MCC’s tour to Canada, which departed today (Friday 15th September).

The eighteen-man party flew into Toronto, where it will play two one-day matches at King City (against an Ontario XI and Canada A) and a three-day match against the Canadian national side at the Toronto Cricket Club. The squad will then fly, in turn, to Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Victoria and Vancouver, playing one match at each destination (against an Ottawa Select XI, Quebec, Alberta, a British Columbia Select XI, and a President’s XI, respectively).

The squad includes the former England and Worcestershire bowler Richard Illingworth, and four current MCC University players. David Brown, David Balcombe (both Durham), Joshua Knappett (Oxford) and Brendan Smith (Cambridge) are all members of University Centres of Cricketing Excellence, which are funded by MCC.

Commenting on the tour, John Stephenson, MCC’s Head of Cricket, said: “This MCC trip to Canada forms an important part of the Club’s commitment to developing cricket talent world-wide. We have sent a strong squad which we hope will provide challenging opposition for the Canadian players and enable them to improve their game as a result. I am also pleased that we have been able to include four UCCE players in our touring party. The tour will broaden their experience and expose them to different playing conditions which will help their cricket development, too.”

When planning its trips overseas, MCC works closely with the International Cricket Council to maximise the effectiveness of each tour in increasing cricket's international appeal. Prior to the departure of the tour, MCC and ICC made a donation of US$5,000 to the Canadian Cricket Board to be ploughed into the development of the game.

The MCC tour party in full:

Tim Lerwill (manager)
Tom Harrison (captain) ex-Northants & Derbyshire
Stephen Ogilby Ireland
Fraser Stewart ex-Dorset
Carl Rogers Norfolk
David Brown Gloucestershire & Durham UCCE
Michael Foster ex-Victoria
Tony Penberthy ex-Northamptonshire
Neil Kendrick ex-Surrey
Richard Illingworth ex-Worcestershire & England
Nick Compton Middlesex
Brendan Smith Essex & Cambridge UCCE
Ben Claypole Australian Country XI
David Balcombe Hampshire & Durham UCCE
Joshua Knappett Worcestershire & Oxford UCCE
Brian Mulholland (scorer)
Peter Waxman (physio)
Rob Bailey (umpire) ex-Northamptonshire & England