The 2023 MCC Overseas Touring Programme continued today as a squad of men’s players departed Lord’s for Greece.
The Club has already toured both Belize and Austria this year, with men’s squads embarking on trips to both countries, as well as a women’s tour to Germany. Today, a squad of 13 players, plus a Tour Manager and Umpire, travelled to Corfu for the first MCC tour to Greece since 2011.
The squad, captained by Fabian Taylor and led by Tour Manager James Nicholls, will play four T20 matches during the tour, opening with a match against the Greek national team, before facing a selection of well-established clubs from the island of Corfu.
All four scheduled matches will take place at the beautiful Marina Cricket Ground in Gouvia, Corfu, which has previously played host to men’s T20 International matches involving Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia.
The squad will also train with the Under-19 National Cricket Academy at the Liston Cricket Ground in Corfu Town, as MCC continues its work to help develop the global game in areas of the world where cricket is less prevalent.
The Hellenic Cricket Federation (HCF) celebrated its two-hundredth anniversary earlier this year, marking the first cricket match played in Corfu between officers of the British Navy, and the island has remained the home of Greek cricket ever since.
The game continues to grow elsewhere in the country, but Corfu remains a popular touring destination for clubs from all over the world and Saturday morning cricket is a prominent feature in the historic old town.
The HCF can boast an established men’s national team, ranked 82 in T20Is by the ICC, whilst their women’s national team played their first T20Is last year.
James Overy, Head of Cricket Projects at MCC, said: “Cricket has a relatively long history in Greece compared to some other areas of the world where MCC has visited, but this makes it no less important for the Club to help develop cricket in an area where the sport is less visible.
“It gives the chance for this selection of Playing Members to not only represent the Club overseas, but to play a good standard of cricket over a short period of time”.
MCC will also be sending a men’s squad to Kenya in November, where the touring programme for 2023 will conclude.
The squad for the tour is: James Nicholls (Manager), Fabian Taylor (Captain), Gareth Clough, Mark Fowler, Luke Jarvis, Alexander Knapman, Ryan Lewis (wk), Steven Mehra, Hugh Pilkington (wk), Harry Smallwood, Steve Stacey, Hugh Thomas, James Thompson, Ed Young, Charles Fellows-Smith (Umpire)
The fixtures are as follows:
Sunday 10 September
Greece v MCC
Monday 11 September
Byron CC v MCC
Tuesday 12 September
Corfu XI v MCC
Wednesday 13 September
GK CC v MCC
Further information on MCC's Overseas Touring Programme can be read below.
Overseas Tours