Angus Fraser to lead MCC tour to South Africa

Former England bowler Angus Fraser will manage the Marylebone Cricket Club tour to South Africa, which departs on December 27.

Derbyshire's Wes Durston will captain the squad which features eight other professionals including Warwickshire fast bowler Chris Wright, Leicestershire all-rounder Neil Dexter and former England international batsman Owais Shah.

Middlesex wicketkeeper John Simpson, Worcestershire fast bowler Charlie Morris, Kent quick Matthew Hunn and Leicestershire batsman Ned Eckersley are also included. 

MCC will play six games on the tour against a variety of opposition including KwaZulu Natal, Crusaders and a Western Province Cricket Association XI.

They will also give a coaching session to local children from the Khayelitsha township in Cape Town.

John Stephenson, MCC head of cricket, said: "This is the club's final tour of the year and it promises to be a fantastic one. We have picked a very talented squad with plenty of current and former professionals involved, as we are expecting a very high standard of cricket.

"We will be playing two matches on sixth day Test match pitches at Kingsmead and Newlands, which I'm sure will be an enjoyable experience for all the players.

"Most importantly, they will be ambassadors for MCC and its work in a major Test playing nation, and I'm sure they will be a credit to the club."

Squad: Angus Fraser (Manager), Wes Durston (Derbyshire), Neil Dexter (Leicestershire), Ned Eckersley (Leicestershire), Chris Wright (Warwickshire), Owais Shah (Hampshire), John Simpson (Middlesex), Charlie Morris (Worcestershire), Matthew Hunn (Kent), Chris Peploe (Ealing CC), Tom Rash (Suffolk), George Thurstance (Bedfordshire), Graham Grace (Eastern Province CC), Jonathan Marsden (Derbyshire Academy, Oxford MCCU), Andre Geldenhuys (Stellenbosch CC)

Fixtures:
Dec 30: MCC v Crusaders (50 overs) - Crusaders Club
Dec 31: MCC v KwaZulu-Natal XI (50 overs) - Kingsmead
Jan 3-4: MCC v Western Province Cricket Association XI (2 days) - Vineyard Oval
Jan 6: MCC v St Augustine's CC (40 overs) - Basil D'Oliveira Sports Complex
Jan 7: MCC v Western Province Academy (50 overs) - Newlands
Jan 8: MCC v Western Province XI (50 overs) - Boland Park