England plan four-day Test with Irish

ECB in advanced talks over historic match at Lord’s Vaughan: Broad wrong to attack me during match

England are in advanced talks with Ireland about playing a four-day Test at Lord’s next July, prior to the Ashes series. It would be England’s first Test against Ireland, and their first four-day Test since 1971.

The Test is viewed by England as an essential part of their preparation for the Ashes. The 2019 series is expected to begin only 11 days after the World Cup final at Lord’s. For those players who play in both formats, it is likely to be their only first-class game in the five months prior to the Ashes. The probable dates of the Test would be from Thursday, July 18 to Sunday, July 21. England batting coach Graham Thorpe said yesterday: “It’s great for cricket, and for Irish cricket.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board is keen to trial four-day Tests, with chairman Colin Graves and chief executive Tom Harrison publicly supporting plans to explore the concept.

For home boards, four-day Tests are cheaper – virtually all Tests, even in England, lose money on the fifth day.

Boards and broadcasters believe that, by being played from Thursday to Sunday Tests would be easier for fans to watch. They would also take up less time in the sport’s crowded schedule.

While four-day Tests are likely to become more common, the International Cricket Council said that all matches in the new World Test Championship – which launches with the Ashes next summer – will be played over five days.

For the foreseeable future, four-day Tests are likely to take place only if the match involves Afghanistan, Ireland or Zimbabwe, the three Test nations not included in the nine-team championship.

England finished the third day over their second Natwest Test against Pakistan on 302-7 last night, 133 runs ahead of Pakistan’s first-innings total, having recovered well from losing the first Test. That result brought widespread criticism that the tourists were better prepared. Pakistan players said that their previous Test in Ireland had been crucial in enabling them to triumph.

Ireland will view the proposed fix- ture as a seminal moment in their cricketing history. They were granted Test status last year – the match against Pakistan last month was their inaugural Test, and they impressed in losing by five wickets.

The ICC approved four-day Tests last year. Revised playing conditions include 98 overs per day – rather than 90 in five-day Tests. They also allow the follow-on to be enforced if a side have a first-innings lead of 150 runs, rather than 200 in the five-day form.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, meanwhile, has questioned Stuart Broad’s judgment as the row between the pair continued yesterday. With the England bowler having described Vaughan’s criticism of his bowling as “unfair and unjustified”, Vaughan said on BBC’s Test Match Special: “You have got to be careful when you choose a time to come out and attack like Stuart did last night.

“England haven’t won this Test match yet. The comments were geared as though they had won the game. He’s a senior member of the team and I don’t think it was the right time to plan that attack.

“He should have played a nice, straight bat for a few of the questions. He probably went on one because the frustration has been building up.”