The England and Wales Cricket Board has today announced that Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl and Lancashire’s Emirates Old Trafford will host the England Men’s Test series against West Indies, subject to UK Government clearance to return behind closed doors.
The schedule for the Test series is as follows:
1st Test v West Indies: 8-12 July at Ageas Bowl
2nd Test v West Indies: 16-20 July at Emirates Old Trafford
3rd Test v West Indies: 24-28 July at Emirates Old Trafford
The West Indies squad will arrive in the UK on Tuesday 9 June, travelling to Emirates Old Trafford for quarantining and training. This will be their base for a three-week period before moving to the Ageas Bowl for the start of the first Test.
ECB Director of Events, Steve Elworthy – who is leading on English cricket’s bio-secure operational plans, said: “Our main objective is to deliver a safe environment for all stakeholders including players, match officials, operational staff, essential venue staff, broadcasters and media.
“We are in daily dialogue with Government and our medical team, who have been incredibly supportive during this period. These are our proposed dates and they remain subject to UK Government approval.
“We would like to thank Cricket West Indies for their co-operation and dedication in making this tour a reality, and we all look forward to the prospect of cricket returning in the coming weeks.”
Lancashire Cricket Chief Executive, Daniel Gidney, said: “We are delighted that Emirates Old Trafford has been selected as one of just two venues that will host the West Indies Test series in a behind closed doors environment next month and that we can play our part in the return of international cricket in this country.
“We have the team, the experience and the facilities at Emirates Old Trafford to make this work and as a Club, we’re more than happy to support the ECB in making these fixtures happen. The importance of re-starting international cricket should not be underestimated as it will provide a huge boost to the mental health and well-being of supporters of the game across the country, all of the players and coaches involved, as well as the staff at Lancashire Cricket. It will also protect vital broadcast distributions and jobs across the whole of cricket.
