England have announced they will play seven Test matches against South Africa and West Indies in the space of just two months next summer as part of their longest and busiest international home season in history.
Beginning in Bristol with the first of two 50-over fixtures against Ireland on 5 May, the earliest in the year England have ever hosted a home fixture, the international season will run until the last of six limited overs matches against West Indies in Southampton on 29 September, the latest date they have played a match at home.
In between they will take on South Africa in three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 fixtures, either side of hosting the ICC Champions Trophy in June, before embarking on a marathon run of seven Test matches in July and August against both main summer tourists.
The first of four Tests with South Africa starts at Lord’s on 6 July followed by three against West Indies that concludes on the same ground, starting on 7 September. Following the Test programme comes a one-off Twenty20 against the current world champions at Durham’s Riverside ground on 16 September and five one-day internationals.
The last time they hosted the Champions Trophy in 2013, England played 23 matches over the course of the season (this would have been 24 had the first one-day international with Australia not been washed out without a ball bowled). Were they to make final of the eight-team 50-over tournament again in 2017, they will have played 26 games in total and even if they fail to make the knockout stages next year, and every game sees some action, this number would be 24 – the most they have ever played in a home campaign.
The packed schedule means England cricketers who play all three formats of the game – currently Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Alex Hales – face up to 54 days of action, making it inevitable they will be rested at stages during the season, especially with an away Ashes tour likely to commence in late October that year.
Included among the fixtures is a first England men’s international to be played at Somerset’s County Ground since the World Cup in 1983, with the second Twenty20 against South Africa being played there on 23 June. Taunton will also be one of five host venues for the Women’s World Cup, with games also being played in Derby, Bristol and Leicester before the final at Lord’s on 23 July.
