Marylebone Cricket Club tours of Ceylon and Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
International cricket teams raised by Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC) have visited Sri Lanka
(formerly Ceylon) on no less than 23 occasions since 1911-12, the most recent being in the winter of 2000-01.
By 1911, there had been four English teams in Ceylon. Those were led by Ivo Bligh in 1882-83; George Vernon
in 1889-90; Lord Hawke in 1892-93; and Andrew Stoddart
in 1894-95. The Bligh and Stoddart teams were en route to Australia while the Vernon and Hawke ventures took in Ceylon as part of visits to India.
In 1911-12, a team organised by MCC visited Ceylon for the first time. Again, it was a case of using Colombo
as a stopover en route to Australia. This team was led by Plum Warner
and, like the earlier visitors, it played minor matches against local sides.
The first MCC team to play first-class matches in Ceylon was the 1926-27 side led by Arthur Gilligan
. This team was essentially bound for India but it played four matches in Ceylon against the Europeans XI, the Ceylonese XI, an Up-Country XI and a Ceylon national team.
A significant event in the history of Sri Lankan cricket occurred in February 1962 when an MCC-organised England Test team finally did play a first-class match there. This was Ted Dexter
's team returning from Australia and New Zealand and it played Ceylon at the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo in a three-day match. MCC won by 8 wickets.
In January 1969, the MCC England team visiting Pakistan came to Colombo and played Ceylon in a drawn match. By this time, the standard of cricket in the island had improved considerably and the national team was well on the way towards gaining Test status.
After Ceylon became Sri Lanka and MCC stopped organising England tours, the club has only rarely visited the island. There was something of a reunion spirit in 2000-01 when an MCC team arrived for the first time since 1977, but it played no first-class matches.
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
(MCC) have visited Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
(formerly Ceylon) on no less than 23 occasions since 1911-12, the most recent being in the winter of 2000-01.
By 1911, there had been four English teams in Ceylon. Those were led by Ivo Bligh in 1882-83; George Vernon
George Vernon
George Frederick Vernon was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club. He also played one Test match for England during the first-ever Ashes tour in 1882-83.Vernon was the son of George Vernon of 32 Montague Square...
in 1889-90; Lord Hawke in 1892-93; and Andrew Stoddart
Andrew Stoddart
Andrew Ernest Stoddart was an English cricketer and rugby union player. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1893.-Cricket career:...
in 1894-95. The Bligh and Stoddart teams were en route to Australia while the Vernon and Hawke ventures took in Ceylon as part of visits to India.
In 1911-12, a team organised by MCC visited Ceylon for the first time. Again, it was a case of using Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
as a stopover en route to Australia. This team was led by Plum Warner
Plum Warner
Sir Pelham Francis Warner MBE , affectionately and better known as Plum Warner, or even "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket was a Test cricketer....
and, like the earlier visitors, it played minor matches against local sides.
The first MCC team to play first-class matches in Ceylon was the 1926-27 side led by Arthur Gilligan
Arthur Gilligan
Arthur Edward Robert Gilligan was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Sussex, Surrey and England....
. This team was essentially bound for India but it played four matches in Ceylon against the Europeans XI, the Ceylonese XI, an Up-Country XI and a Ceylon national team.
A significant event in the history of Sri Lankan cricket occurred in February 1962 when an MCC-organised England Test team finally did play a first-class match there. This was Ted Dexter
Ted Dexter
Edward Ralph Dexter CBE is a former English cricketer...
's team returning from Australia and New Zealand and it played Ceylon at the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo in a three-day match. MCC won by 8 wickets.
In January 1969, the MCC England team visiting Pakistan came to Colombo and played Ceylon in a drawn match. By this time, the standard of cricket in the island had improved considerably and the national team was well on the way towards gaining Test status.
After Ceylon became Sri Lanka and MCC stopped organising England tours, the club has only rarely visited the island. There was something of a reunion spirit in 2000-01 when an MCC team arrived for the first time since 1977, but it played no first-class matches.
External sources
CricketArchive – tours and competitions in Ceylon/Sri LankaFurther reading
- Wisden Cricketers Almanack 2006