MCC Women on historic Windies tour

MCC Women are embarking on a historic first tour of the West Indies, and leave Lord's for Trinidad & Tobago today. The use of the pink ball in match conditions - which is also being tested by the men's team on their tour of the Middle East - will be further trialled on the tour, with the innovation being used in three Twenty20 fixtures in Trinidad.

The seven-match tour will be played at four grounds across the two islands, including two games at Queen's Park Oval. The first of these - a Twenty20 match against Trinidad & Tobago on February 28 - will be staged immediately before West Indies' Twenty20 game against Zimbabwe.

"MCC is committed to developing women's cricket, from the fact women are engaged as professionals on our Young Cricketers staff to the work we do with female students at Loughborough MCC University," said John Stephenson, MCC Head of Cricket.

"By beating England, the West Indies showed that women's cricket in the region is resurgent, and I expect the competition to be tough and intense. The squad contains several coaches so they will be able to pass their skills on to young girls interested in the game in Trinidad & Tobago."

The squad of 14, captained by former England allrounder Bev Nicholson, will run three coaching sessions for local youngsters during the tour. Current MCC Young Cricketer and young England offspinner Charlie Russell is in the squad alongside eleven other county players.

They will be dressed in the new MCC Women's touring suits, designed by Paul Costelloe, who was also responsible for the design of the England Women's kit. Costelloe, a cricket lover, was at Lord's on February 22 to see the MCC squad dressed in his suits for the first time before they departed.