YORK Cricket Club stalwart Robert Flack has been selected to captain the Marylebone Cricket Club side touring Finland.

The all-rounder, who is the child welfare officer at the Clifton Park club, is part of a 12-strong group that is playing a series of matches against Scandinavian opposition as the club tries to spread word of the game.

The squad departed Lord's on Thursday and played a Twenty20 match against the Finland national team yesterday.

Today (SATURDAY), they take on a Cricket Finland Chairman’s XI in a 40 over match, before Finland face Denmark U19s in a Twenty20 match later that day.

MCC then play Denmark U19s in a 50 over match on Sunday, before on the final day, Tuesday, giving a coaching session to young cricketers and then taking on Finland in a final T20 clash.

All matches on the tour were being played at the renovated Kerava National Cricket Ground.

MCC, the world's most active cricket club, owns Lord's Cricket Ground and are the guardians of the laws and spirit of the game.

The club was founded in 1787 and moved to their current home in 1814. There are 18,000 full and 5,000 associate members of the MCC.

York club secretary Nick Kay said having Flack captain the MCC side was a great honour for the Shipton Road outfit.

Flack follows current York CC chairman Nigel Durham in representing the MCC. Durham toured Australia seven years ago and also represented the side in Argentina.

"Rob will captain the team well. He has been a captain of the York first team and led the seconds for a number of years," Kay said.

"He is a person who can get the best out of young players and he still plays for the second team - turning out in around 80 per cent of their games as a batter and a bowler.

"This is a great honour for the club. He's a very fine cricket and the MCC don't just let anyone in. Having him as part of our club is a great privilege."

The full MCC squad Is: Robert Ibbotson (Manager), Robert Flack (York CC, Captain), Temoor Alam (Horton House CC), Glen Aukett (The Mote CC), Neil Bolton (Clitheroe CC), Chris Dring (Spalding CC), Aamir Farooque (West Bromwich Dartmouth CC), Joshua Marquet (Clitheroe CC), Adam Potter (East Moseley CC), Ted Williamson (Terenure CC), Robert Wood (Newtown Linford CC), Chris Jones (Market Deeping CC), Andrew Graham (Barrow CC), Peter Clubb (Umpire, Market Deeping CC).