England and Wales Cricket Board, on Thursday (July 19), announced their schedule for the next summer. It includes a historic one-off Test against Ireland, limited overs games versus Pakistan, the Ashes and the 50-over World Cup.
England will start their home summer with a one-off T20I and a five-match ODI rubber against Pakistan. The one-off T20I will be played at Cardiff on May 5. The first match of the ODI series will take place at The Oval on May 8. The subsequent games are scheduled to be held at Ageas Bowl (May 11), Bristol (May 14), Trent Bridge (May 17) and Headingley (May 19).
The limited overs games against Pakistan will be followed by the historic one-off Test versus Ireland, starting on July 24 at Lord’s. However, the one-off match will be a four-day game. The highly anticipated Ashes will begin with the first Test at Edgbaston on August 1. The second Test will take place from August 14 to 18 at Lord’s. The subsequent matches will be held at Headingley (August 22 to 26), Old Trafford (September 4 to 8) and The Oval (September 12-16).
England likely to host Ireland in Lord’s Test
To avoid a clash with the 50-over World Cup, the dates for domestic limited overs tournaments will be shifted. The Royal London One-Day Cup final is scheduled to take place at Lord’s on May 25, while the T20 final is set to be held at Edgbaston on September 21. The board also noted a public ballot will be used in order to meet the expected demand for tickets to witness the Ashes.
“Next summer’s schedule – with an ICC Cricket World Cup and an Ashes series at its heart is truly a season to savour for cricket fans of all ages, nationalities and cultures. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to build an even bigger following for all formats of the game,” Tom Harrison, the ECB CEO, said.
Ireland legend Ed Joyce retires from all cricket
“There is nothing more important to England cricket fans than an Ashes series. With the added element of being England’s first Test series in the new World Test Championship, it’s a hugely exciting prospect and we anticipate unprecedented demand for tickets. We would love to see fans from all over the world getting to experience the unique atmosphere of an Ashes Test Match after the ICC Cricket World Cup. We fully supported the ICC’s decision to award Full Membership to Cricket Ireland and we expect next summer’s inaugural Test Match at Lord’s against our neighbours to be a historic celebration for all Irish cricket fans.
“It will also provide excellent Ashes preparation for England against an Irish team whose impressive performance against Pakistan earlier this year showed they can compete strongly in this form of the game,” he added.
England’s summer 2019 schedule
vs Pakistan
Sunday 5 May: England v Pakistan Vitality IT20 5pm, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Wednesday 8 May: England v Pakistan 1st Royal London ODI D/N 1pm, Kia Oval
Saturday 11 May: England v Pakistan 2nd Royal London ODI 11am, Ageas Bowl
Tuesday 14 May: England v Pakistan 3rd Royal London ODI D/N 1pm, Brightside Ground, Bristol
Friday 17 May: England v Pakistan 4th Royal London ODI D/N 1pm, Trent Bridge
Sunday 19 May: England v Pakistan 5th Royal London ODI 11am, Emerald Headingley
vs Ireland
Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 July: England v Ireland four-day Specsavers Test, Lord’s
vs Australia
Thursday 1 – Monday 5 Aug: England v Australia 1st Specsavers Test, Edgbaston
Wednesday 14 – Sunday 18 Aug: England v Australia 2nd Specsavers Test, Lord’s
Thursday 22 – Monday 26 Aug: England v Australia 3rd Specsavers Test, Emerald Headingley
Wednesday 4 – Sunday 8 Sept: England v Australia 4th Specsavers Test, Emirates Old Trafford
Thursday 12 – Monday 16 Sept: England v Australia 5th Specsavers Test, Kia Oval
* Ireland and Ashes Tests all 11am start
Domestic finals
Saturday 25 May: Royal London One-Day Cup Final 11am, Lord’s
Saturday 21 Sept: Vitality Blast Finals Day 11am, Edgbaston
, announced their schedule for the next summer. It includes a historic one-off Test against Ireland, limited overs games versus Pakistan, the Ashes and the 50-over World Cup.){kind=link}