Kent fixtures announced

Kent’s County Championship schedule for 2021 has been announced - along with a game against Sri Lanka. Kent will play eight of their 10 group 3 matches in the new-look County Championship in a nine-week block from early April, with two matches to follow in July. They will also take on Sri Lanka under the lights at Canterbury on June 18 in a one-day game.

Kent are due to host Sussex at Beckenham from Sunday, July 11 in their final championship group match. But fans will have to wait until the one-day schedule is revealed next month to discover if Kent are returning to Tunbridge Wells again next year - although the county have stated that “the feasibility of hosting matches away from Canterbury in 2021 (will be) based on an assessment of government restrictions on ground capacity and medical protocol”.

The new-look County Championship sees teams split into three groups of six, with teams then progressing into divisions where a further four matches will be played. The team top of Division

1 will be crowned county champions with the top two then meeting in the Bob Willis Trophy.

Kent’s first game will be in Northampton against Northants from Thursday, April 8. They host Yorkshire at Canterbury from Thursday, April 15 and Lancashire from Thursday, April 22.

Kent then face Glamorgan in Cardiff from Thursday, April 29 and Yorkshire at Headingley from Thursday, May 6. Thursday, May 13 sees Sussex host Kent at Hove with the return match against Glamorgan at Canterbury from Thursday, May 20. Kent then host Northants at Canterbury from Thursday, June 3. After a month-long break from four-day action, Kent’s final two group games see them face Lancashire at Old Trafford from Sunday, July 4 and Sussex at Beckenham from Sunday, July 11. Kent director of cricket Paul Downton said: “Revealing next year’s fixtures is an exciting part of our winter and preparations can now begin for what will hopefully be a successful 2021 season. “After a truncated 2020, we’re all looking forward to a more structured 2021 – especially with the return of the County Championship. We have two huge home matches early in the season with the visits of ‘northern powerhouses’ Yorkshire and Lancashire.”