Durham CCC limited overs skipper Dale Benkenstein will be traveling to Abu Dhabi to captain the MCC in this years County Cricket season curtain raiser.
The MCC will face 2012’s LV= County Championship Warwickshire in the main four day fixture after competing in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 in Dubai.
It is the fourth consecutive time that the historic fixture has been played away from Lord’s, with Durham taking part in the inagural Abu Dhabi fixture in 2010 and will once again be a day-night match played under floodlights with a pink ball. The match will be played at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from 24th – 27th March.
Dale will be leading an experienced side in the first class game with three players having already represented the MCC in this fixture. The squad will be joined by International stars Rahul Dravid and Shaun Tait for the Emirates Airlines Twenty20.
The tour will be an excellent opportunity for Dale to get some extra practice in ahead of the 2013 season, the 21st First Class season for Durham CCC and a massive year for the Club.
The MCC squad:
Dale Benkenstein (captain) (South Africa and Durham)
Jimmy Adams (Hampshire)
Joe Denly (England and Middlesex)
Rahul Dravid (Emirates Airline Twenty20 only) (India)
Simon Kerrigan (Champion County match only) (Lancashire)
Steve Kirby (Somerset)
Dawid Malan (Middlesex)
Sam Northeast (Kent)
Alan Richardson (Worcestershire)
Shaun Tait (Emirates Airline Twenty20 only) (Australia)
Peter Trego (Somerset)
The final two players for the MCC side to face Warwickshire in the 2013 Champion County match will be announced shortly.