Metson to lead MCC in America

An MCC team leaves London tomorrow (Sept 16) for a seven-match tour of the United States' east coast. The team will be captained and managed by Colin Metson, the former Glamorgan wicketkeeper. The other players include the former Yorkshire batsman Simon Kellett, and Steven Snell, a former MCC Young Cricketer who was recently signed by Gloucestershire.

So far this year, MCC teams have already toured the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, The Gambia and Sri Lanka - and, next month, further sides will venture to Italy, and then Gibraltar and Morocco, where the team will be managed by the former Middlesex and England offspinner John Emburey.

MCC's head of cricket, the former Essex and England allrounder John Stephenson, said: "MCC's primary role is to play and promote cricket - in Britain and overseas. Taken together, our domestic and touring programmes involve around 450 matches each year - which makes MCC the world's most active cricket-playing club. All the members of our squad are looking forward to playing in the United States and, in the process, contributing to the country's cricketing development."

The team will play seven matches at four venues, including Idlewild Field, in the Queen's district of New York.

MCC team for USA tour
Colin Metson (capt/manager), Guy Home, Martin Kellaway, Simon Kellett, Stephen Livermore, Richard McCarthy, Ed McKenna, Derek Lane, Nigel Muirhead, David Pashley, Alex Richards, Adnan Saleem, Steven Snell, Nick Swetman John Reed (umpire), Brian Mulholland (scorer).

Fixtures
Sept 18 v Western Metropolitan Cricket Board XI (William Wirt School), Sept 19 v Western Metropolitan Cricket Board XI (William Wirt School), Sept 22 v Gentlemen of Philadelphia (Haverford College), Sept 25 v New York Region (Idlewild Field), Sept 26 v New York Region Team (Idlewild Field), Sept 30 v Florida Under-19 XI (Sarasota International CC), v Sarasota International XI (Sarasota International CC)