Marylebone Cricket Club set off on tour on Sunday 2nd August when a squad of 13 flew to the island of Vis, off Croatia, to begin a whistle-stop tour.

The touring party, which includes former Surrey and Nottinghamshire opener Darren Bicknell and former Somerset wicket-keeper (and current MCC tours sub-committee Chairman) Rob Turner, will play four games before flying back on Friday 7th August.

Cricket was introduced to Croatia by Captain William Hoste, a British naval commander who was posted to Vis, in 1809. Although the game largely died out during the mid-19th century through to the late twentieth century, it was reinvigorated on Vis by winemaker Oliver Roki in the early twenty-first century and has been nurtured by local Australian-Croats.

As well as being the 200th anniversary of the introduction of cricket to Croatia, MCC�s tour also coincides with the redevelopment of the Sir William Hoste Cricket Club � the home of Vis CC and Croatian cricket.

MCC will play two 50-over games against Croatia as well as two games against Croatian Select XIs.

On Tuesday 4th August they will run a coaching session for local players, and, after the tour, MCC will leave a grant of $2,500 (12,826 HRK) � and the International Cricket Council will donate $1,250 (6, 413 HRK) � to develop facilities and coaching programmes in Croatia.

MCC Assistant Secretary (Cricket & Estates), John Stephenson (left), said: �MCC is committed to developing cricket all over the world and we hope that providing good opposition and coaching to Croatia�s cricketers and youngsters will spread the game further throughout the country.

�MCC is delighted to be visiting such a historic club, which has been recently reinvigorated by the commitment and passion of the members of Vis Cricket Club, and we hope the tour can generate interest amongst a new audience in Croatia.�

Croatia achieved ICC Affiliate Membership in 2001.

MCC�s fixtures are:

3rd August: Croatia (50 overs), Vis CC
4th August: Croatian Select XI (20 overs), Vis CC
5th August: Croatian Select XI (50 overs), Vis CC
6th August: Croatia (50 overs), Vis CC