NatWest series and NatWest International Twenty20 dates v Australia 2009
The England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia have reached agreement on the tour dates for the npower Ashes Series and the NatWest Series and the two NatWest International Twenty20 matches.
The schedule includes Australia’s first ever NatWest Series ODI game at the Rose Bowl in Southampton as well as two NatWest International Twenty20 matches at Old Trafford, Manchester.
David Collier, the ECB chief executive said: ‘The summer of 2009 promises to be one of the most exciting in the history of cricket in England and Wales. The npower Ashes Series and the NatWest Series along with the NatWest International Twenty20 matches have the potential for providing the sort of wonderful cricket which can fire the nation’s imagination.
‘And of course all this follows the ICC World Twenty20 which guarantees that all the best Twenty20 players in the world will be in this country in June 2009
Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove added: ‘No one will ever forget the way that the NatWest International Twenty20 in 2005 set the tone for that remarkable summer and now we have a wonderful chance to recapture that magic at the Rose Bowl on Sept 9, 2009.
Jim Cumbes, the Lancashire chief executive, said: ‘We are thrilled that North West cricket supporters will have the chance to see England take on Australia in the two NatWest International Twenty20 matches. We are also delighted to be hosting Australia for a one day international at Old Trafford in 2010.’
Australia will face the England Lions at Worcester during the week before the first npower Test Match which will be played in Cardiff.
Chief Executive, Mark Newton, is delighted with the news. “This is the closest we will ever get to playing a Test Match in Worcester and I couldn’t be more pleased about the timing. 2009 will be a huge year for cricket in England and for four days Worcester will be centre of the cricketing world.”
Australia also face Sussex and provisionally Northampton and Kent in warm-up fixtures. The schedule also includes a One-Day International against Scotland in Edinburgh.
Ticket details will be released at a later date.
Fixtures for the Australian tour to England 2009
May (tbc) Australia Team arrives in UK
Mon 1 - Thu 4 June Warm-up period for World Twenty20
Fri 5 – Sun 21 June World Twenty20
Wed 24 – Sat 27 June 4-day game v Sussex (Hove)
Wed 1 – Sat 4 July 4-day game v England Lions (Worcester)
Wed 8 – Sun 12 July 1st npower Test Cardiff
Thu 16 – Mon 20 July 2nd npower Test Lord’s
Fri 24 – Sun 26 July 3-day game v Northants* (Northampton)
Thu 30 July – Mon 3 Aug 3rd npower Test Edgbaston
Fri 7 – Tue 11 Aug 4th npower Test Headingley
Sat 15 – Sun 16 Aug 2-day game v Kent^ (Canterbury)
Thu 20 – Mon 24 Aug 5th npower Test Oval
Fri 28 Aug ODI v Scotland (Edinburgh)
Sun 30 Aug 1st NatWest International Twenty20 (Old Trafford) Tue 1 Sept 2nd NatWest International Twenty20 (Old Trafford) (floodlit) Fri 4 Sept 1st NatWest Series day/night (Brit Oval) Sun 6 Sept 2nd NatWest Series (Lord’s) Wed 9 Sept 3rd NatWest Series day/night (Rose Bowl) Sat 12 Sept 4th NatWest Series (Lord’s) Tue 15 Sept 5th NatWest Series day/night (Trent Bridge) Thu 17 Sept 6th NatWest Series day/night (Trent Bridge) Sun 20 Sept 7th NatWest Series (Durham)
Mon 21 Sept Australia Team departs
* match played against First Class Counties Select XI at Northampton if Northants in Friends Provident Trophy Final played over this period.
^ match played against England Lions at Canterbury if Kent involved in Twenty20 Finals Day.