MCC tour of Australia in 1970–71

The Marylebone Cricket Club tour of Australia in 1970–71 under the captaincy of Ray Illingworth was its fifteenth since it took official control of overseas tours in 1903–1904. The touring team played as England in the 1970–71 Ashes series against Australia, but as the MCC in all other games. In all there were 26 matches; 7 Test matches which they won, 2–0, 8 other First Class matches ( which they drew, 1–1), 10 minor matches (which they won, 7–0) and the first One Day International in the history of cricket, which they lost.

The team flew to Adelaide in South Australia, the second time that the MCC touring team had flown all the way to Australia. Previous tours had begun in Western Australia as this was nearer and so more convenient when travelling by sea. On the MCC tour of Australia in 1965–66 the team had flown to Perth to continue this tradition, but the tour matches on Western Australia now coincided with the Second Test in Perth.

The MCC played a one-day warm up match against an up-country South Australian team. W. G. Grace had played here in 1873–74 on an open space covered with stones, but 97 years later the wicket was 'hard, well-prepared and exceptionally good'. It was not a limited overs match, each side played one innings and could declare. Peter Lever, Alan Ward, Brian Luckhurst, Don Wilson and John Hampshire dropped six easy catches between them before Hutchinson sportingly declared on 146/9. The openers Geoff Boycott and Brian Luckhurst had no problems making the runs, and as they won before the day was out it was agreed that they could continue batting in order to practice.

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