ECB announces international dates and venues for 2015 summer

ECB announces international dates and venues for

 2015 summer

New Zealand’s tour of England will begin in May 2015

ECB today announced the full international programme for the summer of 2015 which will see England host tours by New Zealand and Australia.

Cardiff’s stadium will host the opening Ashes Test Match of the five-match series as it did in 2009 when England’s last pair James
Anderson and Monty Panesar clung on for a famous draw on the final day of a gripping Ashes encounter.

Lord’s, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and The Kia Oval will also stage Investec Test Matches as England bid to regain the famous Ashes urn and win a fourth successive home Ashes series following their previous triumphs in 2005, 2009 and 2013.

After the Ashes, England and Australia will do battle again in a T20I at Cardiff’s stadium before the international season reaches its climax in September with Rose Bowl, Lord’s, Old Trafford and Headingley hosting matches in the One-Day International series.

New Zealand’s tour of England will begin in May with tour matches against Somerset and Worcestershire before the two countries meet in the opening international action of the summer – the first Test Match at Lord’s.

Headingley will stage the second Test Match of the two-match series against the Black Caps before the focus shifts to the One-Day International series with Edgbaston, The Oval, Rose Bowl, Trent Bridge and Durham ICG all staging ODIs and Old Trafford hosting a T20 International.

ECB Chief Executive David Collier said: “Next summer promises to be a hugely exciting international season with England’s bid to regain the Ashes set to be one of the major highlights of the sporting year.  We’re also delighted to be hosting New Zealand again across all three formats of the international game and would like to thank all those county and international venues who will be hosting our touring teams next year.”

New Zealand to UK 2015

Fri 8 – Mon 11 May           4-day v Somerset                                    Taunton

Thu 14 – Sun 17 May        4-day v Worcestershire                           New Road

Thu 21 – Mon 25 May      1st Test Match                          Lord’s

Fri 29 May – Tue 2 June  2nd Test Match                         Headingley

Sat 6 June                          50-over v Leicestershire                         Grace Road

Tue 9 June                        1st ODI    (D/N)                Edgbaston

Fri 12 June                        2nd ODI   (D/N)                The Oval

Sun 14 June                      3rd ODI                             Rose Bowl (Southampton)

Wed 17 June                     4th ODI    (D/N)                Trent Bridge

Sat 20 June                       5th ODI                             Durham ICG

Tue 23 June                       T20I                 (Floodlit)          Old Trafford

Australia to UK 2015

Thu 25 – Sun 28 June        4-day v Kent                                            Canterbury

Wed 1 – Sat 4 July             4-day v Essex                                          Chelmsford

Wed 8 – Sun 12 July         1st Test Match                          Cardiff

Thu 16 – Mon 20 July        2nd Test Match                        Lord’s

Thu 23 – Sat 25 July           3-day v Derbyshire                                  County Ground, Derby

Wed 29 July – Sun 2 Aug 3rd Test Match                         Edgbaston

Thu 6 – Mon 10 Aug          4th Test Match                         Trent Bridge

Fri 14 – Sun 16 Aug            3-day v Northants                                   Northampton

Thu 20 – Mon 24 Aug        5th Test Match                         Kia Oval

Thu 27 Aug                          ODI v Ireland                                         Venue tbc

Mon 31 Aug                        T20I                                         Cardiff

Thu 3 Sept                          1st ODI (D/N)                 Rose Bowl

Sat 5 Sept                           2nd ODI                           Lord’s

Tue 8 Sept                          3rd ODI (D/N)                  Old Trafford

Fri 11 Sept                          4th ODI                            Headingley       

Sun 13 Sept                        5th ODI                           Old Trafford