Sobers welcomes matches at Kensington Oval and Three Ws Oval
Essex to break new ground for floodlit Champion County fixture
Collingwood, Franks and Ramprakash appointed as coaches for North-South Series
 
 
Barbados will host a festival of English cricket next spring, with both the North-South Series and the MCC’s Champion County Match against Essex to break new ground in the Caribbean.
 
The North-South Series, which was launched in Dubai and Abu Dhabi earlier this year as part of England’s preparations for hosting the 2019 World Cup, will feature two matches at Bridgetown’s famous Kensington Oval on March 18 and 21, followed by a third at the Three Ws Oval on March 23.
 
Then attention will return to the Kensington Oval for the first-class, four-day fixture between an MCC XI and Essex, the 2017 County Champions, from March 27-30 – which will be a day-night fixture played with pink Dukes balls.
 
The fixtures have been welcomed by one of the greatest Barbados cricketers, Sir Garfield Sobers – who was also delighted that the announcement was made to coincide with the second Royal London One-Day International between England and West Indies at Trent Bridge, his home county ground with Nottinghamshire.
 
“Barbados is honoured to have been chosen to stage the ECB North-South Series and MCC Champion County Match for the very first time next year,” said Sobers.
 
“We have been home to numerous prestigious cricket events and this will once again be the case as we welcome the players to our lovely shores. We look forward to hosting them, and trust that it will be an intense and high-quality showing of the game.”
 
John Stephenson, the MCC’s Head of Cricket, said: “MCC is delighted to be hosting the Champion County Match in Barbados next year, and continuing the Club’s collaboration with the ECB.
 
“It has been a long-stated aim of the MCC World Cricket committee to help to reinvigorate Test cricket in areas of the world where attendances are dwindling, and MCC believe that playing a four-day pink-ball first-class match in Barbados can help to do that.
 
“The Club also hopes it will provide a platform for the iconic Kensington Oval to go on to potentially host a day/night Test Match in the near future.
 
“The pink-ball Champion County Match utilises players from ECB’s North-South Series and gives current and future England players valuable exposure to day/night cricket in the longer format. MCC is pleased to play its part in helping the ECB and looks forward to welcoming Essex for this fixture next year.”
 
Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s Director of England Cricket, said: “Taking the North-South Series to Barbados is an exciting prospect for everyone involved. It follows on from the England Lions fixtures against West Indies A in February and March, and we hope the MCC’s decision to take their Champion County Match to the Caribbean will add to the level of interest and support both in the West Indies and among cricket fans at home.
 
“I’d like to thank Cricket West Indies and the Barbados Cricket Association for their support in allowing us to stage the 2018 North-South Series on the island. There was some excellent cricket in the first series in the UAE, most of it from the South, which has already proved valuable to the England selectors and management - and I’m sure the North will be determined to make their mark next year.”
 
The South won the first series 3-0, but the North will have a new coaching team in 2018 following the appointment of the Durham captain Paul Collingwood who will be assisted by Paul Franks – the former Nottinghamshire all-rounder who is now a member of the coaching staff at Trent Bridge and has been nominated by the Outlaws following their Royal London One-Day Cup win at Lord’s in July.
 
Mark Ramprakash, the former Middlesex and Surrey batsman who is now England’s batting coach, has been appointed head coach of the South, and will be assisted by Andy Flower – who worked alongside the England assistant coach Paul Farbrace in this year’s series.
 
The 13-man North and South squads will be finalised by the England selectors, with input from the coaching teams, in December - when they also confirm the England Lions squad for the West Indies tour, which includes three four-day matches and three 50-over fixtures split between Jamaica and Antigua – details here https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/438404.
 
Sporta Group, incorporating Sporta Tours, has again been appointed as tour partner for the North-South Series and MCC Champion County Match. The company will manage the travel and logistical arrangements for the ECB, MCC and Essex, along with an exclusive supporters’ tour package for fans looking to follow the action to the Caribbean.