Claire Taylor and Charlotte Edwards have been included in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) squad for the upcoming women’s tour of the USA and Canada.
Taylor will captain the group which also includes former England skipper Edwards, as well as a number of players with county experience.
This will be Taylor’s second MCC tour in recent years, having also led a squad to Hong Kong and China alongside Mike Gatting in 2014.
MCC are also sending a men’s squad to the USA which will be captained by former Durham batsman Steve Birtwistle, and managed by Norwich CC’s Steve Livermore.
The squad also includes former MCC Young Cricketer Chad Barrett, who scored 114 not out on his first class debut for Northamptonshire last month.
The women depart on Wednesday 7 September and the men on Thursday 8 September.
The MCC women’s squad will play seven matches on the tour. Among the fixtures is a T20 match against USA Women on Sunday 11 September at Merrion Cricket Club, and a 50-over clash against a Canadian Select XI on Thursday 15 September at Toronto Skating & Curling Club.
The men’s squad will play six matches, including two floodlit T20 fixtures at Fort Lauderdale and two 50-over clashes with the USA national side at the World Sports Park in Indianapolis.
The men will also deliver a coaching session to 40 local children in Queens, New York on 9 September. This will focus on teaching cricket skills and the importance of playing in the right spirit.
This will be the first time ever MCC have sent men’s and women’s squads to the same destination simultaneously. It will also be the first ever MCC women’s tour to the USA and Canada.
MCC Head of Cricket John Stephenson said: “These are momentous tours for MCC in so many ways and we are delighted to be sending two strong squads to help promote the men’s and women’s game out in the US and Canada.
“Of course having two cricketers of the calibre of Charlotte Edwards and Claire Taylor in the women’s squad is an added bonus.
“I’m sure all our players will prove to be excellent ambassadors for the Club and the Spirit of Cricket.”
MCC women’s squad to tour the USA and Canada:
| Name | Other |
| Judy Wilmot | Somerset Wanderers CC, Player/Manager |
| Claire Taylor | Berkshire CCC, Captain |
| Bev Nicholson | Yorkshire CCC, Vice Captain |
| Charlotte Edwards | Kent CCC |
| Aylish Cranstone | Devon CCC |
| Emma Elsom | Orpington Nomads CC |
| Emma Godman | Somerset CCC |
| Sinead Goodden | Surrey CCC |
| Raveena Lakhtaria | Surrey CCC |
| Hazel Lovegrove | Orpington Nomads CC |
| Sarah McCann | Cheshire CCC |
| Nicole Richards | Somerset CCC |
| Marilyn Smith | Middlesex CCC |
| Charlotte Williams | Cheshire CCC |
| Jane Carpenter | Umpire |
MCC women’s Tour Itinerary
| Fixture | Venue | Date |
| MCC v USA Red (20 overs) | Evansburg Cricket Ground | Sat 10 Sept |
| MCC v USA Blue (20 overs) | Evansburg Cricket Ground | Sat 10 Sept |
| MCC v USA Women (20 overs) | Merrion Cricket Club | Sun 11 Sept |
| MCC v CanAm (20 overs) | Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club | Wed 14 Sept |
| MCC v Canadian Select XI (50 overs) | Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club | Thu 15 Sept |
| MCC v Ontario Cricket Association (50 overs) | TBC | Sat 17 Sept |
| MCC v Canadian Select XI (50 overs) | TBC | Sun 18 Sept |
MCC men’s squad to tour the USA
| Name | Other |
| Steve Livermore | Norwich CC, Manager |
| Simon Birtwisle | South Northumberland CC, Captain |
| Robbie Arthur | Northern Ireland CC |
| Nicholas Rushworth | East Bierley CC |
| Luke Jackson | Bourne CC, Lincolnshire CC |
| Naseer Chohan | Wraysbury CC |
| Andrew Brock | Grange CC |
| Steve Naylor | Henley CC |
| Paul Byrne | Spencer CC |
| Chad Barrett | Bishop’s Stortford CC, Northamptonshire CCC |
| Joe Shuttle | Winchmore Hill CC |
| Chris Glasper | Ealing CC |
| Mark O’Leary | Sudbrook CC |
| Ben Jeffery | Ashtead CC |
| Barry Toombs | Umpire |
MCC men’s Tour Itinerary
| Fixture | Venue | Date |
| MCC v NYC XI (50 overs) | Queens | Sat 10 Sept |
| MCC v NYC XI (50 overs) | Queens | Sat 11 Sept |
| MCC v Florida XI (20 overs) | Fort Lauderdale | Wed 13 Sept |
| MCC v Florida XI (20 overs) | Fort Lauderdale | Thu 15 Sept |
| MCC v USA (50 overs) | Indianapolis | Sat 17 Sept |
| MCC v USA (50 overs) | Indianapolis | Sun 18 Sept |
We will carry a live scorecard of the games in New York.
Story courtesy of https://www.lords.org/
