Photo Credit: Marylebone Cricket Club
MCC EMBARKED ON ITS FINAL OVERSEAS TOUR OF THE YEAR TODAY AS A SQUAD OF WOMEN’S PLAYERS DEPARTED LONDON FOR NEPAL.
It has been a busy year for the MCC Overseas Touring programme, with men’s squads heading to Serbia, Romania, Italy and Uganda.
The fifth and final tour of 2022 sees a squad of 15 MCC Playing Members travelling to Kathmandu for a trip which lasts almost two weeks. The tour is in conjunction with MCC Foundation (MCCF) who have worked to deliver cricket to young people in Nepal since 2019.
MCC will play six matches during the tour of Nepal. In Kathmandu, they will play a 40-over match and a T20 match against a team with a mix of players from the full Nepalese national side and their Under-19’s squad. Matches will be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, and the Mulpani Ground.
“OUR OVERSEAS TOURING PROGRAMME CONTINUES TO BE AN IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF THE CLUB’S CRICKET STRATEGY”
When the tour moves north-west to Pokhara, the side will play a further four fixtures against sides put together by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), alternating between T20 and 40-over cricket. All four games will be held at the Pokhara Rangashala Ground.
The second leg of the tour will involve several coaching sessions, as the squad look to inspire local youngsters and schoolchildren in playing the game. The Club will be working closely with MCCF, Cricket Without Boundaries and the CAN to deliver these sessions.
Claire Taylor will manage the tour, as well as being a part of the playing squad. The former England batter, whose 156 not out against India at Lord’s in 2006 remains the highest individual One-Day International score at the Ground, has chaired the MCC Cricket committee since 2019.
Saba Nasim is the Assistant Player Manager for tour and the side will be captained by Jennie Kitzinger. Both are experienced players with MCC and featured at Lord’s in the MCC Women’s Day in the early part of the summer.
MCC last toured Nepal in 2019, when a strong men’s squad played the Nepal national side in several fixtures, including a three-day first-class match in Kathmandu.
Since the tour in 2019, MCCF has worked in partnership with UK charity Kidasha to deliver cricket in Pokhara. This year, regular coaching was delivered in 14 schools for over 1,100 girls and boys aged 12 to 16. Many of the children engaged in this project lack access to sport or recreation and are from disadvantaged slum communities.
Almost half of participants were girls and the feedback from parents and coaches has been overwhelmingly positive about the impact the programme has had on their confidence and sporting ability.
Jamie Cox, Director of Cricket Operations at MCC, said: “Our overseas touring programme continues to be an important segment of the Club’s Cricket Strategy, and after the challenges of the pandemic it has been particularly pleasing for us to visit five countries this year.
“Being able to send a women’s squad to Nepal highlights the Club’s commitment to our women’s playing programme, which aims to increase playing opportunities for our female Members both at home and abroad.
“It is also fantastic for us to be able to support the great work that the MCC Foundation has been undertaking in Nepal over a number of years.”
The squad for the tour is:
Claire Taylor (Player Manager), Saba Nasim (Assistant Player Manager), Jennie Kitzinger (Captain), Abbie Whybrow, Shweta Chaudhuri, Sarah Cray, Jolene Foster, Isabelle Gurney, Elysa Hubbard (Vice-captain), Amanda Potgieter, Rachael Potter, Ria Raval, Mia Rogers, Marilyn Smith (Player/scorer), Sophie McLelland
The fixtures are as follows:
Monday 24 October
MCC v Nepal/Under 19’s XI (40 over match) at Mulpani Ground, Kathmandu
Tuesday 25 October
MCC v Nepal Under 19’s (T20) at Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kathmandu
Friday 28 October
MCC v Cricket Association of Nepal XI (T20) at Pokhara Rangashala Ground
Saturday 29 October
MCC v Cricket Association of Nepal XI (40 over match) at Pokhara Rangashala Ground
Sunday 30 October
MCC v Nepal/Under 19’s XI (T20) at Pokhara Rangashala Ground
Tuesday 1 November
MCC v Cricket Association of Nepal XI (40 over match) at Pokhara Rangashala Ground
