Cricket Namibia hosts Marylebone Cricket ClubAs the U-19 cricket team prepares for the 2018 Cricket World Cup, the young Namibian Players will face the visiting Marylebone Cricket Club players on Friday. Namibian cricketers to face world class team 0 Cricket Namibia is set to host English cricket team Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) as from Thursday.This was revealed by Cricket Namibia’s board member Laurence Pieters in a media release yesterday. The team will tour Namibia from 3 to 14 November.
According to Pieters, the MCC team will arrive in Namibia on Thursday and a total of seven matches are scheduled to be played in Windhoek and Walvis Bay.
The MCC is the oldest cricket club on the planet, founded back in 1787. They own and are based at world-renowned Lord''s Cricket Ground in St John''s Wood, London.
Up until 1993, the MCC was the governing body of cricket, both in England and Wales as well as worldwide. Afterwards, many of its global functions were transferred to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The MCC now also tours various cricket developing countries in an effort to promote and assist in the development of cricket. The tour will provide the opportunity of local players to square-off against the MCC who will also assist in coaching clinics for locals in Windhoek and Walvis Bay.
This is the fourth time the MCC tours Namibia, having last visited the country in 2009.
“It’s an absolute honour and privilege for a club of this magnitude to visit Namibia,” said Pieters, adding that the tour will also raise the profile of Cricket in Namibia.
The tour commences with two T20 matches on Friday between the MCC and the Namibian U-19 side in Windhoek. The juniors had gained automatic qualification for the 2018 World Cup in New Zealand after finishing in seventh place during the 2015 World Cup in Bangladesh, the best ever for a Namibian side.
Pieters indicated that the game against the MCC will provide an ideal opportunity in the U-19’s preparation for the next international showpiece.
On Saturday, the guests take on a Namibian “A” side in a limited over 50 match followed by a game in the same format against an Invitational XI on Sunday. Before travelling to the coast, the MCC will play on Namibia “A” team in a T20 match at the United Cricket Fields.
More action will then follow in Walvis Bay with the MCC squaring off at the Sparta Cricket Club against a Coastal XI on 12 November in a Limited 50 over followed by another 50 over game against the Welwitschia XI side at the same venue.
All games will be officiated by former English cricketer Robert Timothy "Tim" Robinson, who played in 29 Tests and 26 ODIs for England from 1984 to 1989.
The visitors will arrive with a team stacked with quality and experience. Captain Joseph Barrs who has previously captained the University of Exeter 1st XI and toured to Uganda in 2013 with MCC.
Ian Crosby, James Southgate and Adam Wheater also bring much experience while youngsters like Dannyjo Cox, Joe Ellis-Grewal, Palash Joshi and Oliver Swann are set to make an impact as well.
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