PCA PRESS RELEASE
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.
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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.
“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,” said Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s Director of England Cricket.
“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.
Franks 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.
