International cricket returns to Taunton in 2027
International cricket returns to the Cooper Associates County Ground next summer.
The home of Somerset County Cricket Club will once again host a Women’s IT20 when England take on Bangladesh under the floodlights on Friday September 10th.
The fixture will be the second in a three-match IT20 series and forms part of a jam packed international calendar.
Following this announcement, Somerset CCC CEO, Jamie Cox said: “It’s always an honour to stage international cricket. We have a long and successful history of hosting England Women, and we consider the Cooper Associates County Ground to be the spiritual home of Women’s Cricket. In addition to giving Somerset Members and supporters the chance to see the best players in the world take to the field, these fixtures also help to boost the local economy and showcase everything that is great about the South West.”
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In addition to the Bangladesh fixture in Taunton, England Men and England Women will be going all out to regain the Ashes with their series to run concurrently through June and July, while the England Men’s Mixed Disability team will also host Australia.
England Men will kickstart the action with a return to Nottingham for the first Test of the Rothesay Men’s Ashes Series starting on Friday 18 June. England Men have won their previous three Ashes Tests at Trent Bridge, the most recent being the famous innings and 78-run win in 2015 when Australia were bowled out for 60 in the first session.
The series will then go to Lord’s, Edgbaston and the Utilita Bowl, which will host a Men’s Rothesay Ashes Test for the first time. The series concludes at the Kia Oval from Thursday 29 July.
The multi-format Metro Bank Women’s Ashes begins in the north with Headingley, and its storied Ashes history, the stage for the series-opening Rothesay Women’s Ashes Test from Thursday 24 June. It will be the first time a women’s Ashes Test will be held in Leeds since 2001.
England Women drew the multi-format series last time Australia were on these shores three years ago and, after both teams met in the ICC Women’s IT20 World Cup final earlier this month, the rivalry will step up another level in the three-match women’s Vitality IT20 series.
That series will begin at Trent Bridge on Saturday 3 July before matches at the Kia Oval and Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground. The women’s Metro Bank ODI series will be played at the Utilita Bowl and Lord’s before finishing at Edgbaston on Tuesday 20 July.
The ECB yesterday also announced that the England Men’s Mixed Disability Team would also play Australia with those dates and venues to be confirmed.
The ECB and Cricket Australia have also agreed to schedule a high-quality match for the Australia Men’s team against a full-strength England Lions team at an international venue in order to prepare for the 2027 Rothesay Men’s Ashes Series and that this will be reciprocated when England tour Australia in 2029. That match has been scheduled for Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground from June 7-10*.
England Men will first start their home season with a five-match Metro Bank ODI Series against Pakistan from Saturday 15 May at the Utilita Bowl. They will then play Bangladesh in a one-off Rothesay Test match at Lord’s from Friday 28 May.
England Men’s white-ball team will play 10 Metro Bank ODIs over the course of the summer as they fine-tune preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s World Cup in southern Africa. Their schedule concludes with a three-match Vitality IT20 Series and five Metro Bank ODIs against New Zealand in September.
England Women end their summer schedule with a three-match Vitality IT20 series and a three-match Metro Bank ODI Series against Bangladesh.
ECB Chief Executive Officer Richard Gould said: “The Ashes is the pinnacle of our sport and it is significant that next summer we will have three England teams playing against Australia at venues across the country.
“The last time Australia were here made for captivating cricket, in a way that only the Ashes can provide, as both of our Men’s and Women’s teams fought back to level the series in dramatic circumstances.
“Next summer will see the men’s team play a Rothesay Ashes Test at the Utilita Bowl for the very first time, while the women’s team will play an Ashes Test at Headingley for the first time since 2001.
“It’s also important that this summer shines a light on every part of our cricketing landscape and the inclusion of the England Men’s Mixed Disability team during an Ashes summer is a landmark moment.
“We are also excited to welcome Bangladesh Men for a one-off Test at Lord’s, which will be the first time we have played them at home in a Test since 2010 while also hosting Bangladesh Women in a white-ball series.
“With New Zealand Men touring as part of a white‑ball series that will be invaluable for our England Men’s team ahead of the 2027 ICC Men’s World Cup, we have a summer schedule that offers high‑quality cricket across all formats and for all our England teams and fans.”
World Test Championship Final
The Oval will host the ICC World Test Championship Final for the second time in 2027.
The ICC announced last year that the ECB have been awarded the right to host the next three finals in London in 2027, 2029 and 2031 with the ECB deciding where those matches should take place.
It has now been agreed that the 2027 match will take place at The Oval, which was sold out when it previously hosted the final of Test cricket’s showpiece match in 2023, with Australia beating India to the title. The match will take place from Wednesday 9th to Sunday 13th June.
Neil Snowball, ECB Managing Director, Competitions and Major Events, said: “We are honoured to be staging the next three ICC World Test Championship Finals in England and Wales, and we’re pleased to confirm that The Oval will play host again next year. The 2023 final at The Oval was a huge hit with broadcasters and fans, and I’ve no doubt that next year’s event will be extra special again.
“This promises to be another fantastic opportunity for cricket fans in this country and from around the world to see the best two Test teams in the world from the past two years taking each other on in a showpiece event.”
Next year’s final will mark the end of the fourth edition of the World Test Championship. The first final in 2021 was held in biosecure conditions in Southampton, with New Zealand beating India, while last year’s sell-out event at Lord’s saw South Africa securing victory against Australia on day four.
ICC General Manager, Events & Operations, Gaurav Saxena, said: “The ICC World Test Championship Final has established itself as one of the most prestigious occasions in the global cricket calendar, bringing together the two best Test teams in the world after two years of sustained excellence and consistency.
“The confirmation of The Oval as the venue for the 2027 Final is another testament to the strong and collaborative partnership between the ICC and the ECB. This partnership was showcased through the outstanding success of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, where both organisations worked seamlessly together to deliver several landmark moments for women’s sport and create an unforgettable experience for players, fans and the wider cricket community.
“The 2027 World Test Championship Final will hold special significance as cricket celebrates 150 years of Test cricket. The Oval has played a proud role in the history of our sport and has hosted some of its most memorable moments. We look forward to working closely with the ECB to deliver another world-class event that celebrates the enduring legacy of Test cricket and creates lasting memories for fans around the world.”
2027 Home International Schedule:
England Men v Pakistan
Saturday 15 May: 1st Metro Bank ODI – Utilita Bowl, Southampton, 11am
Wednesday 19 May: 2nd Metro Bank ODI – Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, 1300
Friday 21 May: 3rd Metro Bank ODI – Headingley, Leeds, 1100
Sunday 23 May: 4th Metro Bank ODI – Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 1100
Wednesday 26 May: 5th Metro Bank ODI – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 1300
England Men v Bangladesh
Friday 28 May – 1 June: 1st Rothesay Test match – Lord’s, London, 1100
ICC World Test Championship Final
Wednesday 9 June – 13 June: ICC World Test Championship Final – Kia Oval, London, 1100
England Men v Australia – Rothesay Men’s Ashes
Monday 7 June – 10 June: Warm-up match England Lions v Australia – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester (* This fixture will be subject to review should Australia reach the ICC World Test Championship Final)
Friday 18 June – 22 June: 1st Rothesay Ashes Test match – Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 1100
Wednesday 30 June – 4 July: 2nd Rothesay Ashes Test – Lord’s, London, 1100
Thursday 8 July – 12 July: 3rd Rothesay Ashes Test – Edgbaston, Birmingham, 1100
Wednesday 21 July – 25 July: 4th Rothesay Ashes Test – Utilita Bowl, Southampton, 1100
Thursday 29 July – 2 August: 5th Rothesay Ashes Test – Kia Oval, London, 1100
England Women v Australia – Metro Bank Women’s Ashes
Thursday 24 June – 27 June: 1st Rothesay Ashes Test match – Headingley, Leeds, 1100
Saturday 3 July: 1st Vitality IT20 – Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 1900
Tuesday 6 July: 2nd Vitality IT20 – Kia Oval, London, 1830
Friday 9 July: 3rd Vitality IT20 – Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, 1900
Tuesday 13 July: 1st Metro Bank ODI – Utilita Bowl, Southampton, 1300
Friday 16 July: 2nd Metro Bank ODI – Lord’s, London, 1300
Tuesday 20 July: 3rd Metro Bank ODI – Edgbaston, Birmingham, 1300
England Men v New Zealand
Tuesday 7 September: 1st Vitality IT20 – Banks Homes Riverside, Chester-le-Street, 1830
Thursday 9 September: 2nd Vitality IT20 – Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, 1830
Saturday 11 September: 3rd Vitality IT20 – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 1430
Tuesday 14 September: 1st Metro Bank ODI – Edgbaston, Birmingham, 1230
Thursday 16 September: 2nd Metro Bank ODI – Lord’s, London, 1230
Sunday 19 September: 3rd Metro Bank ODI – Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol, 1030
Wednesday 22 September: 4th Metro Bank ODI – Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 1230
Saturday 25 September: 5th Metro Bank ODI – Headingley, Leeds, 1030
England Women v Bangladesh
Wednesday 8 September: 1st Vitality IT20 – cinch County Ground, Northampton, 1830
Friday 10 September: 2nd Vitality IT20 – Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 1830
Sunday 12 September: 3rd Vitality IT20 – New Road, Worcester, 1430
Friday 17 September: 1st Metro Bank ODC – County Ground, Hove, 1230
Tuesday 21 September: 2nd Metro Bank ODC – St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, 1230
Friday 24 September: 3rd Metro Bank ODC – Ambassador Cruise Line Ground, Chelmsford, 1230
