Lancashire Cricket’s pre-season tour ahead of the 2023 season has now been confirmed.
The men and women’s tours will be sponsored by Hilton for a second year running, as the global hospitality company has extended its long-standing partnership as the Official Hotel Partner of the Club.
Hilton’s funding has been invaluable in ensuring that both squads can travel side-by-side on the pre-season tour once again this year. The men’s and Lancashire Thunder squads will depart from Manchester to Dubai on Saturday 11 March for warm weather training at the Club’s usual base of the ICC Academy, the Emirates 7’s Stadium and staying at the Conrad Dubai.
Lancashire Thunder will then embark on an historic second leg of the pre-season tour to Mumbai on Sunday 19 March whilst Glen Chapple’s squad will remain in Dubai for the duration of the tour.
Hilton has supported the men’s squad since 2016, and in addition to this, has over the last year provided additional crucial funding to enable the Lancashire Thunder team to attend the pre-season tour and continue to grow the game for women and girls in the region. Funding by Hilton has also contributed to a team of nutritionists, sports psychologists, and doctors to support the women’s team.
Both sides will be in T20 doubleheader action at the Emirates 7’s Stadium, Dubai on Wednesday 15 March as they take on a UAE men’s and women’s XI, respectively.
The remainder of the men’s tour will focus on centre wicket practice, net sessions, and fitness work in Dubai – as they build towards their season opener against Surrey on Thursday 6 April.
Lancashire Thunder will then play a series of One-Day matches at the ICC Academy in Dubai before heading to India on 19 March.
The second leg of their tour will see Lancashire Thunder train and play at Reliance Park in Mumbai – the home of the Mumbai Indians men’s and women’s IPL franchises.
Alongside playing two further One-Day matches and growing the Lancashire Thunder brand during the first-ever Women’s IPL – the squad will also partake in charity work during their time in Mumbai.
A selection of matches from Lancashire Cricket’s 2023 pre-season tour, presented by Hilton, will be live streamed from Dubai with more details on how you can watch action on LancsTV coming soon.
The partnership extension will allow Hilton to provide unique experiences for its Hilton Honors members across the Club’s major event programme in 2023 which includes international cricket, LV=Insurance Men’s Ashes and concert event days, including Arctic Monkeys in June and bespoke events at the pitch-side Hilton Garden Inn Manchester Emirates Old Trafford.
Chief Executive of Lancashire Cricket, Daniel Gidney said: “I am delighted that we have extended our flagship partnership with Hilton by a further year. We are really pleased to continue our work on several exciting projects together which includes the new development at Emirates Old Trafford taking us up to 250 bedrooms, our 2023 pre-season tour and also the ongoing growth of women’s cricket in the region.
“Hilton are an amazing partner. They have really bought into the journey of our Thunder squad, and they want to work closely with us to help to accelerate not only our aims of growing the women’s game in Lancashire – but also the personal growth of the members of our squad.
“Alongside the new development and pre-season tour, we are also really excited to be working with Hilton on another collaborative project involving our Thunder squad and will be revealing more details on this in the coming weeks.”
Gurmej Bahia, vice president, loyalty and marketing, EMEA, Hilton added: “We are thrilled to continue to show our support for Lancashire Cricket, especially when it comes to putting a spotlight on their women’s team. We look forward to cheering on the teams as the Club embarks on a joint men’s and women’s tour in Dubai and for the rest of the season.”
Lancashire Cricket men’s captain Keaton Jennings also commented: ““Following a long winter in the gym and Indoor Centre at Emirates Old Trafford, both our men’s and women’s squads are excited to travel together on pre-season tour and get out on the grass in Dubai.
“With a lot of the squad having spent their winters playing cricket all around the world, it will be great to have an almost complete squad on the tour ahead of the new season.
“The facilities at both the Sevens Stadium and ICC Academy are top class and we look forward to seeing representatives from our headline sponsors at Emirates whilst on the tour.”
Lancashire Thunder captain Ellie Threlkeld concluded: “We are really looking forward to heading on another pre-season tour together following the success of last year’s trip to Dubai.
“The second leg of the tour will be a new experience for a lot of the squad to train and play in Mumbai for the first time and it will be a real test of our skills.
“On behalf of the Lancashire Thunder squad, I would also like to thank the tour’s presenting partner Hilton for their ongoing support in helping to make this trip possible.”
