Edgbaston Stadium packed cricket calendar

Article posted by Coliseum, June 28^th, 2023

Image: Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Ronald Iguana, CC BY 2.0

The Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham, England (UK) status amongst the world’s leading cricket venues has been underlined after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the stadium will host major Men’s and Women’s international fixtures until 2031.

‘Warwickshire County Cricket Club’ stated that the ECB’s home international schedule released on June 14^th – covering the period from 2025-2031 – includes a mouth-watering selection of Tests, one day internationals (ODIs) and the International League T20 (IT20s) at the stadium.

The 25,000-capacity Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or the Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England (UK). It is home to the Warwickshire County Cricket Club and its T20 team the Birmingham Bears.

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The Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of 18 first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Warwickshire. Its T20 team is called the Birmingham Bears.

London (UK)-based the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was formed on January 1^st, 1997 as a single governing body to combine the roles formerly fulfilled by the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council.

‘Warwickshire County Cricket Club’ further stated that and it promises to bring a much-welcomed economic boost to the City’s hotels, bars and restaurants – estimated at around a quarter of a billion pounds over the seven years – as well as promoting the West Midlands on a global stage.

Here’s what is in store for cricket fans at Edgbaston:

Men’s Test Match cricket will come to Birmingham every year, between 2024 and 2031, apart from the ICC T20 World Cup year in 2030 when tournament games will likely be played at the stadium;
Men’s Ashes will return to Edgbaston in 2027 and India will head to Birmingham for Tests in 2025 and 2029, with additional Test opponents announced in due course;
Edgbaston will also host a range of Women’s white-ball internationals in 2025, 2027, 2029, 2030, and 2031, with the potential of more to come as the women’s game grows;
Edgbaston, the home of T20 cricket, retains the sellout Vitality Blast Finals Day until at least 2031; and
Birmingham Phoenix Men’s and Women’s The Hundred fixtures continue to be played at Edgbaston until at least 2028.

Based on previous economic impact reports, this seven-year allocation could be worth up to £250m to Birmingham’s economy, with up to 100,000 people visiting the City for a major Test Match, including some 60 percent traveling from more than 50 miles away.

Said Mark McCafferty, Chair of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, “This is massive news for Edgbaston, Birmingham and the West Midlands bringing a tangible boost to the economy as well as world- class cricket to fans and Members who love the unique Edgbaston atmosphere. It’s our largest ever allocation of international fixtures, for the longest period and we would not have achieved it without the efforts of everyone working at Edgbaston, as well as the support of the Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority. In 2019, when the Aussies last visited Birmingham for the Ashes, Edgbaston attracted around 400,000 visitors and contributed £68million to the City’s economy.”

Added McCafferty, “We estimate the economic wealth brought to the region from this seven-year major match is at least £250million. We’re particularly pleased to be hosting India several times over the coming years and can also expect to host teams like Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. We know how important these games are to the City’s diverse communities and we’re also particularly excited about the role we shall play in promoting the rapid growth of women’s cricket in the region and globally, following the highly successful Commonwealth Games.”

The ECB allocations have been announced for seven years, rather than the previous five-year period, to give venues greater certainty and encourage sustainable investment in world class facilities, such as Edgbaston’s planned redevelopment of the Raglan Stands to include a hotel.

Details and dates of a Men’s Test and IT20 to be staged at the Edgbaston Stadium in 2024 are expected to be announced soon.

Stated Councilor John Cotton, Leader of the Birmingham City Council, “Edgbaston is one of the world’s leading cricket venues and this news further enhances Birmingham as a global sporting City. Attracting and hosting major events, as outlined in our 10-year Major Sporting Events Strategy, delivers positive, economic and environmental impact for our residents, businesses and the regional economy, as we have seen from the likes of the Commonwealth Games and the World Indoor Athletics Championships. The ECB’s commitment to international fixtures for the next eight years and the new masterplan set to transform the Edgbaston Stadium and the surrounding communities is a huge boost for Birmingham and its residents alike.”

Lord’s Fixtures

‘LORD’S’ stated that following the June 14th announcement by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the Marylebone Cricket Club confirmed that the Lord’s (UK) has been allocated two Men’s Test Matches and an England Women’s match every year from 2025 to 2031.

With two Men’s Test matches already confirmed to take place at the Lord’s in 2024, which was covered by the existing international match allocation, this pattern continues into the new seven-year period beginning in 2025. That same year, the ‘Home of Cricket’ will host the ICC World Test Championship Final for the first time.

The Lord’s Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord’s, is a cricket venue in St John’s Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of the Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the European Cricket Council (ECC) and, until August 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Lord’s is widely referred to as the Home of Cricket and is home to the world’s oldest sporting museum.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John’s Wood, London (UK). The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence.

The Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of 18 first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Middlesex which has effectively been subsumed within the ceremonial county of Greater London.

The European Cricket Council (ECC) is an international body which oversaw cricket in European countries other than the Test-playing cricketing nation of England, the only European Full Member of the ICC for the duration of the ECC’s existence.

Dubai (UAE)-based the International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England and South Africa. It was renamed as the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1987.

‘LORD’S’ further stated that as the Lord’s approach this year’s Men’s and Women’s Ashes series, the announcement confirmed that England’s next two home series against Australia – in 2027 and 2031, both double Ashes Summers – will each feature Men’s Test matches at the Lord’s.

The MCC is thrilled to be hosting England Women every year in the seven-year period, having broken the attendance record for an England Women’s home bilateral fixture in 2022. The June 14^th announcement comes as Lord’s stages the Men’s and Women’s Ashes fixtures for the first time in the same season, with the forthcoming T20I between England and Australia taking place on July 8^th.

The Men’s One-Day International cricket has also been secured at Lord’s – the scene of England’s 2019 World Cup triumph – during each of the seven allotted years – with the Ground to stage two such matches in 2028.

Said Guy Lavender, Chief Executive and Secretary of MCC, “Today’s (June 14^th) announcement is excellent news for the MCC, for Lord’s and for players and fans of international cricket. The ECB has recognized our Ground’s status as a special place to watch and play the game. We now look forward to working with them to stage exceptional cricket into the next decade, which benefits the game as a whole. We are proud to continue to champion the Test match format and honored to host England Women on an annual basis as part of our major match program.”

The schedule of the international matches announced on June 14^th will continue to be supplemented by home fixtures for the Middlesex and London Spirit and the club’s minor match program, including its burgeoning range of Road to Lord’s fixtures.

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