Ashes snub for fortress Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is odd ground out again
HEADINGLEY was one of the major winners yesterday in the ECB’s latest choice of highprofile match venues. Yorkshire’s HQ has been picked as one of the lucrative locations for the new eight-city T20 tournament starting in 2020, as well as an ashes Test in 2023 to go with the one already announced for 2019.
The scrutiny around the picks was focused on Yorkshire as ECB chairman Colin Graves is still owed around £22million from his time at the helm of the cash- strapped county through his family trust.
The Board felt the need to stress that Graves ‘chose to be excused’ from the part of the meeting that discussed venue recommendations. Lord Patel, the ECB’s senior independent director, took the chair.
The two most disappointed counties will be Hampshire and nottinghamshire.
it has been the great unfulfilled ambition of Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove to host an ashes Test at the ageas Bowl near Southampton, which he was instrumental in building.
But despite Bransgrove’s optimism during the selection process, it was not to be. indeed, the Hampshire venue has not been awarded any Tests in the five years from 2020. The only positives are regular T20 international cricket and being one of the T20 city tournament grounds.
Fans at Trent Bridge will be equally upset. it is a popular Test venue where england have consistently performed well. The last three ashes Tests there have resulted in home victories — notably in 2015 when the series was won — yet it will miss out on a Test against australia both in 2019 and 2023.
The consolation is that Trent Bridge will take over from Lord’s as the home of the county 50-over tournament final for five years.
The selection of eight city grounds for the new T20 tournament was as expected, although Cardiff is fortunate to be a sole venue for one team when Taunton and Bristol attract considerably bigger crowds.
Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris said: ‘Hopefully it will be the catalyst for cricket to grow in Wales.’
The rest of the decisions are more straightforward. Lord’s will continue to stage two Tests a summer, as will The oval — the only other ground to do so. Surrey continue to prefer to host the last Test of the summer.
The eight T20 venues are Lord’s, The oval, Headingley, Trent Bridge, edgbaston, Cardiff ’ s SWALEC Stadium, the ageas Bowl and old Trafford.
and the five ashes venues for 2023 are Lord’s, The oval, Headingley, old Trafford and edgbaston.
ian Lovett, deputy ECB chairman and chair of the host venue panel, said: ‘Today’s discussion and decision followed a rigorous, comprehensive and detailed process by the independent panel in which they assessed a range of high quality submissions and presentations.’