Middlesex CCC will enjoy a first overseas tour in three years when they fly out to Abu Dhabi for a pre-season tournament in March.

During the last two pre-seasons, Middlesex’s cricketers have enviously looked at their counterparts at other counties as they annually pack their cricket bags to travel to a warmer and more cricket friendly part of the world.

This pre-season, however, Middlesex will join several other counties in Abu Dhabi between March 10 and 20, where they are scheduled to play a number of 20 and 50 over matches against Yorkshire, Lancashire, Worcestershire, Derbyshire, an MCC Universities side and the MCC YC’s.

While the pitches in UAE will be somewhat different to those the players will encounter in England in May – they are expected to be flat belters rather than green seamers – they will allow batsmen to practice their aggressive stroke-play and hitting skills. Indeed, practice sessions will be geared towards specifically improving these areas of each player’s game.

Middlesex expects to be without a number of its players because of the World Cup and other commitments. Eoin Morgan and Steven Finn will be with England at the World Cup in Australia, while Andy Balbirnie, Paul Stirling and, hopefully, Tim Murtagh will be down under with Ireland. Adam Voges will still be playing for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield whilst those at University or College, with the exception of Nick Gubbins, are either touring with their University teams or remaining in the UK.

Also, as with the last two pre-seasons, the Club will also be erecting a sizeable marquee over a grass net area at Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood, Middlesex. It is a facility that will hopefully allow Middlesex’s players to practice on grass either side of the trip to Abu Dhabi.

What this facility does not provide, however, is match situations and ideal conditions to practice white ball skills. With this in mind, along with the desire for the first XI to be far more competitive in white ball cricket in 2015, the club agreed to provide funding for a pre-season tour with help from the Crimson Hotels group.

Middlesex's Pre-Season Tour matches are as follows:

  • Fri 13 March: Middlesex CCC v Worcestershire CCC (50 overs)
  • Sun 15 March: Middlesex CCC v Derbyshire CCC (50 overs)
  • Tue 17 March: Middlesex CCC v MCC Universities (T20)
  • Wed 18 March: Middlesex CCC v Lancashire CCC (T20)
  • Wed 18 March: Middlesex CCC v Yorkshire CCC (T20)
  • Fri 20 March: Middlesex CCC v MCC Young Cricketers (50 overs)