The Adelaide Oval has been confirmed as the venue for the first day-night Test between England and Australia. The game will be the second Test of the 2017-18 Ashes series on 2-6 December 2017.
The series will open at The Gabba in Brisbane – where Australia have not lost a Test since 1988 – on 21 November before moving to Adelaide for the pink-ball Test, then Perth before Christmas. England may be spared a trip to the historic Waca ground – where they won just once – with the new multi-sport Perth Stadium to host the fixture if it is built in time. The series will be rounded off with the traditional fixtures in Melbourne from Boxing Day and Sydney in the first week of 2018.
Following the Ashes, England will play five one-day internationals against Australia, before taking part in a T20 international tri-series with the World Cup finalists, Australia and New Zealand. The competition will take place across the two countries, with the teams playing each other twice before a final at Auckland’s Eden Park on 21 February, exactly three months after the Ashes begin. They are due to play Tests in New Zealand in March 2018 too; a gruelling run awaits.
“We’re really excited to announce that Adelaide will play host to the first ever day-night Ashes Test,” the Cricket Australia chief executive, James Sutherland, said. “We know how much Adelaide fans love this style of Test cricket. We’re expecting a full house next year in what is sure to be a great contest.”
The Adelaide Oval hosted the first day-night Test in November last year, against New Zealand, and another against South Africa last month. Both were won by Australia in front of huge crowds. England face West Indies in their first day-night Test, at Edgbaston in August with one eye on their long-anticipated trip to Adelaide.
England tour of Australia and New Zealand 2017-18 fixtures:
Ashes series
First Test – Australia v England, Gabba - 23-27 November
Second Test – Australia v England, Adelaide Oval (day-night) - 2-6 December
Third Test – Australia v England, Perth (venue TBC) - 14-18 December
Fourth Test – Australia v England, MCG - 26-30 December
Fifth Test – Australia v England, SCG - 4-8 January
ODI series
First ODI – Australia v England, MCG – 14 January
Second ODI – Australia v England, Gabba – 19 January
Third ODI – Australia v England, SCG – 21 January
Fourth ODI – Australia v England, Adelaide Oval – 26 January
Fifth ODI – Australia v England, Perth (venue TBC) – 28 January
T20 International Trans-Tasman Tri-Series
First T20I – Australia v New Zealand, SCG – 3 February
Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, Hobart – 7 February
Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG – 10 February
Fourth T20I – New Zealand v England, Wellington Stadium – 14 February
Fifth T20I – New Zealand v Australia, Eden Park, Auckland – 16 February
Sixth T20I – New Zealand v England, Seddon Park, Hamilton – 18 February
Final – TBC, Eden Park – 21 February
