Major match schedule for 2017 announced

NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day will take place in peak summer in 2017 with a September final and the Royal London One-Day Cup Final has been brought forward from its traditional mid-September date to a new mid-summer slot in early July.

England will start their international season with five Royal London One-Day Internationals; a two-match series against Ireland and three-match series against South Africa as preparation of the Champions Trophy hosted in England.

The focus will then shift to the Nat West International T20 series as England take on South Africa in a three-match series which will include their first men’s international game at Taunton since a World Cup fixture against Sri Lanka in 1983.

Lord’s, Trent Bridge, The Kia Oval and Emirates Old Trafford will all stage Test Matches in a four-match Investec Test series against South Africa before West Indies arrive for a three-match Test series, five match Royal London ODI series and a NatWest International T20.

ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison said: “With three different international teams coming here next summer and this country playing host to two major ICC global events – the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s World Cup – there will be a feast of international cricket to excite us in England and Wales.

“Both the international and the domestic schedule will have a different shape to previous years. And the early season block for the Royal London One-Day Cup – with a new mid-season date for its Lord’s final – will support both England’s ICC Champions Trophy preparations and our longer term planning for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019. It will also allow players to focus skills on the white ball game and help more people to understand the structure of the season.

“It promises to be a memorable summer of cricket for all our international grounds and a particularly special one for Somerset CCC which will host its first England men’s fixture for more than thirty years; a great opportunity for the county to further capitalise on its strong support for England women’s cricket in recent years.”

2017 Major Match Schedule in full:

England v Ireland Royal London ODIs

Fri 5 May: 1^st Royal London ODI, Bristol

Sun 7 May: 2^nd Royal London ODI, Lord’s

England v South Africa

Wed 24 May: 1^st Royal London ODI (D/N), Headingley

Sat 27 May: 2^nd Royal London ODI, Ageas Bowl

Mon 29 May: 3^rd Royal London ODI, Lord’s

Wed 21 June: 1^st NatWest IT20 (f), Ageas Bowl

Fri 23 June: 2^nd NatWest IT20, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

Sun 25 June: 3^rd NatWest IT20, SSE SWALEC, Cardiff

Thu 6-Mon 10 July: 1^st Investec Test, Lord’s

Fri 14-Tue 18 July: 2^nd Investec Test, Trent Bridge

Thu 27-Mon 31 July: 3^rd Investec Test, Kia Oval

Fri 4-Tue 8 August: 4^th Investec Test, Emirates Old Trafford

England v West Indies

Thu 17-Mon 21 August: 1^st Investec Test,Edgbaston

Fri 25-Tue 29 August: 2^nd Investec Test, Headingley

Thu 7-Mon 11 September: 3^rd Investec Test, Lord’s

Sat 16 September: NatWest IT20 (f), Emirates Riverside

Tue 19 September: 1^st Royal London ODI (D/N), Emirates Old Trafford

Thu 21 September: 2^nd Royal London ODI (D/N), Trent Bridge

Sun 24 September: 3^rd Royal London ODI, Bristol

Wed 27 September: 4^th Royal London ODI (D/N), Kia Oval

Fri 29 September: 5^th Royal London ODI (D/N), Ageas Bowl

Domestic Finals

Sat 1 July: Royal London One-Day Cup Final, Lord’s

Sat 2 September: NatWest T20 Blast Finals’ Day, Edgbaston

(Both domestic finals have one reserve day allocated)