Strong MCC team to tour Australia

Date released: 10 December 2002

A strong MCC squad, managed by Tony Dodemaide, the Club's Head of Cricket, is to tour Australia over Christmas and the New Year.

MCC will play five matches in Melbourne and Sydney, including a game against Melbourne Cricket Club on 31st December.

In addition to Tony Dodemaide, the former Australian Test all-rounder, the touring party includes Derbyshire's Kevin Dean, plus three former county cricketers - Tim Hodgson (Essex), Mark Scott (Worcestershire) and Richard Kettleborough (Yorkshire and Middlesex).

The touring party will leave for Australia on Christmas Day, and return after its final match, on 10th January, against a Bradman XI at the Bradman Oval.

Over the coming year, other overseas tours will take MCC teams to places as diverse as Italy, Papua New Guinea and Nepal.

The full touring party is: Tony Dodemaide (manager); Tim Kirk (captain); Dave Burden (umpire); Brian Mulholland (scorer); Graham Beckett; Kevin Dean; Stephen Dyer; Jim Freeth; Tim Hodgson; Richard Kettleborough; Bobby Lowe; John Marx; Joe Porter; Andy Roberts; Mark Scott; and Robert Walker.

The tour itinerary is:

31st December (Melbourne Cricket Ground)
Melbourne Cricket Club

2nd January (Hume and Hovell Cricket Club)
Crusaders

6th January (St Ignatius College)
Australian Old Collegians Cricket Association

8th January (Sydney University)
Sydney University

10th January (Bradman Oval)
Bradman XI

MCC's first tour to Australia took place 99 years ago (in 1903/4) and, in total, the Club's teams now play almost 500 matches a year.