Lord's will host cricket this summer to preserve 233-year record

Lord’s will finally host some cricket in the summer of 2020 when Middlesex return there for five Vitality Blast matches, while the five-day final of the Bob Willis Trophy will also take place on the iconic ground.

Lord’s, through two changes of site, has hosted cricket every year since 1787 but the pandemic seriously threatened this record.

There will be no international cricket in NW8 for the first time since 1970 and Middlesex are playing their first-class matches at Radlett. Many of the ground's other prestigious fixtures have also been cancelled.

But they will return to Lord’s on August 29 to play Kent, and will stay there for their other four home matches. It will be the first cricket of any sort staged on the ground this summer.

Surrey will Middlesex in a London derby at the Kia Oval on September 5 before a return fixture at Lord’s nine days later.

The Bob Willis Trophy Final will take place at the ground from September 23 for five days and will see the two top-placed sides across the three regional groups meet. Essex, Somerset, Yorkshire and Derbyshire are currently the only unbeaten sides in the competition.

Having played the group stages throughout September Blast finals day at Edgbaston on October 3 will then bring down the curtain on the truncated season.

Women’s county cricket will also return with the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy, named after the World Cup-winning England captain, which begins on August 29 and will run until a finals day on September 26. It will see eight new regional teams play 50-over cricket.

“After a challenging few months it’s really exciting that we can look forward to three domestic finals at the end of the summer,” said ECB Chief Executive Tom Harrison. “It promises to be a thrilling climax to the season, and something members, fans and everyone involved in the game can look forward to.

“The prestige of a Lord’s final for the Bob Willis Trophy will provide an even greater incentive for the First-Class Counties, and it’s pleasing to see so many people watching the high-class entertainment via the enhanced live streams the counties have invested in. Finals Day at Edgbaston will also ensure the men’s county cricket finishes the season on a high.

“I’m also proud that we will stage the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in honour of a true great of our game both on and off the field. Rachael’s determination to give women’s cricket the platform it deserves is a legacy that must endure through these difficult times as we continue the journey to professionalise the women’s game. This summer’s tournament will be another important step on that path.”

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