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.

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.

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
Robert Walker

The tour itinerary is:

31st December
Melbourne Cricket Club (Melbourne Cricket Ground)

2nd January
Crusaders (Hume and Hovell Cricket Club)

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

8th January
Sydney University (Sydney University)

10th January
Bradman XI (Bradman Oval)

© MCC