Bury St Edmunds CC’s Tom Rash and Josh Cantrell and Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC’s Tom Harper excited to represent MCC versus ICC Europe XI at Lord’s

Three Suffolk cricketers will represent the MCC versus an ICC Europe XI at Lord’s on Friday (11am).

Bury St Edmunds CC duo Tom Rash and Josh Cantrell will play alongside Tom Harper of Copdock & Old Ipswichian CC in the fixture, which is the first between the two sides and will be a 50-overs-a-side white-ball contest.

It will be the fifth time that 41-year-old former Suffolk all-rounder Rash, who will skipper the MCC side, has played at ‘the Home of Cricket’.

Cantrell, 26, and 20-year-old Harper, who both currently play for Suffolk in all three formats of the National Counties competitions, will be making their first appearances at Lord’s.

Rash has been an MCC playing member since 2010 and was the East Anglia area representative from 2011-2016. He has been a players and fixtures committee member since 2018 and has chaired the tours working group (tours committee) since 2020.

He said: “I have been lucky enough to previously play four times at Lord’s and this will be my fifth and second as captain. I have just got my capped Suffolk blazer dry-cleaned and I am going to do the toss in it!

“Josh and Tom are both making their debuts at Lord’s. Josh has been a member since 2020, and Tom is in his second year of probationary candidacy.”

Rash said of playing at Lord’s: “It doesn't get any better than to play at such an iconic ground. The whole experience is very special. I just hope the early season weather holds out.”

Cantrell, who is about to embark on his second season as Suffolk’s white-ball captain, commented: “It’s a real honour to be selected and play at the home of cricket.”

Harper added: “I am so excited for this.”

Former Bury St Edmunds player Freddie Klokker, who represented Suffolk six times in the old Minor Counties Championship after making his debut for the county in 2009, will be coaching the ICC Europe XI.

Rash said of the ex-Danish international wicketkeeper and batter: “We are old friends. Freddie and I had two seasons together in the Bury first team and became real friends. He even came and lived with me and helped on the family farm for a month.

“He was also a senior player in the Suffolk squad as I was being introduced into it and helped me loads. He is a great bloke.”

It comes ahead of clubs getting their warm-up matches in this weekend ahead of the East Anglian Premier League season, along with the Two Counties Championship, starting on April 19.

Suffolk’s first competitive fixture comes on Sunday, April 27 when the Adam Mansfield-coached side take on Norfolk at Fakenham CC in the NCCA Trophy.