Lancashire Cricket will return to Division One of the Specsavers County Championship in 2020 and they will kick-off their campaign at home to Kent between 12-15 April.
This happens days after their three-day pre-season encounter against Durham MCCU at Emirates Old Trafford (7-9 April).
The Red Rose will play all seven of their home County Championship matches at Old Trafford for the first time since 2002.
Their penultimate home game of the season will be the Roses match against Yorkshire between 8-11 September, while the reverse fixture will take place at Scarborough in June.
The season will end with a County Championship trip to Kent at the end of September.
After successfully hosting first-class last season, Sedbergh School will host also the inaugural National Counties fixture between Cumberland and Lancashire on Friday 17 July as a warm-up to Lancashire’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign, which will then see Middlesex visit Sedbergh on Sunday 19 July. There will also be a Women’s Hundred fixture the following Sunday (24 July) against the Oval Invincibles making a festival of cricket with three games within a week.
The One-Day Cup loses its regionalised format next year and the only northern opposition that Lancashire will face in the competition will be Worcestershire (home) and Durham (away).
Liverpool will welcome the Red Rose for the opening Vitality Blast match against the Northants Steelbacks on Friday 29 May. Old Trafford is unavailable due to a concert the following night.
Paul Allott, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket, said: “We’re delighted with the way the fixture list has worked out and our thanks must go to the ECB for their cooperation, as well as the three outgrounds which we will be using next summer.
“It’s great news to have all seven of our home County Championship fixtures at Emirates Old Trafford which is the first time that has happened in 17 years. Furthermore, we’re really happy with the increased amount of First-Class cricket being played across weekends, as we know how important that is to our Members.”
He added: “We are very much looking forward to our Royal London Cup fixtures at Blackpool, Liverpool and Sedbergh School next year. The Club has worked closely with staff and officials at Stanley Park over the last year, particularly in relation to the drainage issues there in recent times, whilst Liverpool very successfully hosted last year’s First-Class fixture against Leicestershire. Sedbergh School’s hosting of the four-day fixture against Durham last year has encouraged the county to return for a 50 over game in 2020.
“Whilst there is not a fixture at Southport and Birkdale Cricket Club next year, Lancashire Cricket has a very good relationship with those at Trafalgar Road and remain committed to working closely together. As part of that, the Club’s ground staff team will provide support with the aim of getting Southport back on the rota, possibly as early as the 2021 season.”
Image credit: Lancashire Cricket
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