Cricketers with the MCC’s Club XI teams are looking forward to a cracking summer and to establish a proper home ground advantage across the 2021/22 season at the MCC’s Beaumaris Secondary College.
With the Albert Ground’s historic Clive Fairbairn Pavillion undergoing a refresh and completion earlier this year, the Club XI teams were edged out of ‘Beauy’ and became nomads for the most of the first half of last season.But they’re now looking forward to calling Beaumaris ‘home’; the facility that is shared as a base by many of the MCC’s sporting sections since its development by the Victorian Government and MCC Foundation in March 2019.
The MCC Club XI competition is a vibrant one which originated in 1896 when there was an excess of MCC players available to play in the VCA (now Victorian Premier Cricket) competition teams. To provide all players with a game, the MCC organised an internal competition and initially formed five teams.
Over the years, teams from other Premier clubs, schools’ ‘old boys’ teams and local clubs have joined the Competition and some 34 teams will play across the four divisions in 2021/22. Presently, more than 30 nationalities are represented by players either born overseas or who have at least one parent born outside of Australia. The Competition continues to be inclusive and embraces diversity and multiculturalism.
MCC members and those on or keen to join the waiting list are encouraged to represent one of the MCC’s three teams in a competitive but relaxed environment where the Spirit of Cricket is emphasised and umpires held in high esteem.
The MCC Club XI alumni includes a broad group, from former state and Test players to entertainers and AFL footballers.
MCC Club XI Chair of Selectors Sam Dimopoulos said there was no better time for cricketers of all skill levels to join the enjoyable social nature of Club XI cricket.
“The ‘Clubbies’ has always been a melting pot of cricketers: former and present day Premier players mixing with a range of schoolboy, club and social cricketers to form a unique environment where we strive to win and have fun at the same time,” Mr Dimopoulos said.
“We are looking for cricketers of all standards to play in the 2021/22 season across our three teams in one of Melbourne's oldest and most prestigious cricket competitions.
“You will play home games at the outstanding Beaumaris facility and away games on some of the best school and club grounds across Melbourne.
“We have a great blend of youth and experience and after so many restrictions on local sport in recent months, there’s never been a better time to join up and pull on the Demons colours.”
For more information and to register expressions of interest, please contact: mccclubxi@gmail.com.