England seamers face Sussex

Steve Harmison

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England seamers Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard have been named in the MCC squad to play LV County Champions Sussex in the traditional season-opener at Lord's from April 13.

England Ashes tourist Alastair Cook will captain a side that also features Owais Shah of Middlesex and Steve Davies of Worcestershire.

Cook said: "I was very pleased to be asked to captain MCC against the champion county. I have enjoyed starting my domestic season at Lord's for the past three seasons, and it is a ground on which I have historically done well. I hope that the 2007 game will prove to be similarly successful for me and the rest of the MCC team."

Cook will be representing MCC in this fixture for the fourth season running. He is joined in MCC colours by Alex Gidman, the Gloucestershire all-rounder who was an MCC Young Cricketer from 2000-2001, and Zoheb Sharif, who is currently studying at the MCC-sponsored Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence.

Alastair Cook © Getty Images

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Keith Bradshaw, secretary & chief executive of MCC, said: "I am delighted that Alastair has accepted MCC's invitation to captain its first representative side of the 2007 domestic season.

"He has demonstrated great commitment to the club over the years, as well as turning in some excellent performances at the home of cricket. He scored a century here in the corresponding fixture two years ago, and emulated that achievement in his second Test appearance at Lord's, in July 2006.

"I am sure that he and his team mates will get MCC's season off to a great start."

Guy Jackson, National Academy Manager and managing the side, added: "This match provides an ideal opportunity for some of the young England A players to continue the good work they began on the hugely beneficial tour to Bangladesh earlier this year.

"We were greatly impressed with the attitude of the squad, both on and off the pitch, and this match will enable them to demonstrate how they have developed since returning to their counties in preparation for the domestic season.

"It also gives some of the senior players who have not been involved in the World Cup the chance for some early season competitive match practice."

Gates will open at 10.00am on all four days, with play beginning at 11.00am. Ground admission prices, for members' guests and the general public, are £12 for adults and £6 for juveniles (under 16 years of age) and over-65s.

MCC squad:
Alastair Cook (Essex, capt)
Will Jefferson (Nottinghamshire) - replaced by Alex Loudon 11/04/07 due to hamstring injury
Owais Shah (Middlesex)
Nick Compton (Middlesex)
Alex Gidman (Gloucestershire)
Steve Davies (Worcestershire)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire)
Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire)
Steve Harmison (Durham)
Graham Onions (Durham)
Zoheb Sharif (MCC Universities)