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Melbourne Cricket Club


England Versus West Indies

The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) was founded on 15 November 15 1838 when five men – Frederick Powlett, Robert Russell, George B. Smyth and brothers Andrew and Charles Mundy – agreed to form a cricket club to be known as the Melbourne Cricket Club.

As a pioneer club, the MCC’s early role was administrative and promotional, as well as competitive. The MCC was most prominent in developing the colony’s cricket and played a major role in guiding the game’s destiny until the then Victorian Cricket Association (now Cricket Victoria) took over the reins in 1906. The club sponsored four Australian teams to England and eight visits to Australia between 1886 and 1905.

The MCC has been synonymous with success, measured in numerous premierships, club championships and state and national representatives. The last of our competition leading 19 1st XI premiership wins was in 2009/10.

In its long and prestigious history, the MCC has been home to many fine players who wore the baggy green cap; Fred “Demon” Spofforth, Jack Blackham, Warwick Armstrong, Bert Ironmonger, Hugh Trumble, Vernon Ransford, Bill Ponsford, Keith Rigg, Colin McDonald, Lindsay Kline, Paul Sheahan, Max Walker, Dean Jones and, more recently, Brad Hodge and Andrew McDonald.

In all, there have been 41 players who have played Test cricket during their time at Melbourne.

The MCC Foundation’s charter to this day includes a commitment to fostering the development of cricket both within Australia and internationally, particularly in neighbouring regions. Recent tours to the UK (Marylebone CC), Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vanuatu and Japan support that ideal.

The MCC also values its relationship with our reciprocal clubs and looks forward to touring and hosting matches against the likes of Hong Kong CC, Cricket Club of India, Marylebone CC, Royal Selangor Club and Singapore CC.

The MCC always has been the foremost promoter of sport in Australia. In 1859 the MCC drew up the first set of rules for Victorian (later Australian) football. It hosted the first tour by an English cricket team in 1862, the first Test match in 1877 and the first one-day international match in 1971.

Along with the playing of cricket, today’s MCC is an umbrella organisation for hundreds of participants in 11 sporting sections – baseball, bowls, croquet, football (Melbourne FC), golf, hockey, lacrosse, real tennis, squash, target shooting and tennis.

The MCC also has the public role of managing and developing of one of the country’s greatest assets – the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the club’s location since 1853.