An MCC squad will leave London today for a seven-match tour of Italy. The team, which will be captained by Nick Archer, includes Rob Turner, Somerset's wicketkeeper, and Jim Love, the ex-Yorkshire and England batsman, who played three one-day internationals against Australia in 1981. Nick Denning, a former MCC Young Cricketer, is also in the squad.

The tour includes two games against Italy's Under-23 team, and will culminate in two matches against the full national side at Capannelle. The trip was planned in conjunction with the International Cricket Council to promote the development of the game, and increase its popularity, in Italy - which is an ICC Associate Member.

The tour is part of MCC's ambitious international playing programme which, so far this year, has already taken the Club's teams to countries including Ghana, The Gambia, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. MCC's next overseas tour, to Gibraltar and Morocco, is in early October.

MCC team for Italy tour
Keith Dennis (manager), Nick Archer (capt), Matt Cousen, Nick Denning, Alan Duncan, Matthew Eyles, Chinmay Gupte, William Hodson, Tim Kirk, Jim Love, Clive Offer, Andrew Steward, Rob Turner (wk), Matt Weller, John Holder (umpire).

Fixtures

Sept 23 v Maremma (Maremma Falsetti), Sept 25 v Italy U-23 (Grosseto), Sept 26 v Italy U-23 (Grosseto), Sept 28 v Gallicano (Capannelle), Sept 30 v Capannelle (Capannelle), Oct 2 v Italy (Capannelle), Oct 3 v Italy (Capannelle).