LONDON, CMC – West Indies will be part of history when they face England in the first-ever day/night Test to be played on English soil, during their tour there next year.
The England and Wales Cricket Board announced that Edgbaston in Birmingham will play host to the historic event from August 17-21, 2017, with teams using the much-talked about pink balls.
Players will wear traditional whites and play is expected to run from 2 pm until 9 pm, subject to ratification from cricket’s world governing body, the ICC.
“We’re excited by the prospect of staging our first ever day-night Test Match,” said ECB chief executive, Tom Harrison.
“It’s a great opportunity to attract more fans to the game and see how staging Test cricket in the afternoon and evening fits with working patterns and modern lifestyles, whilst maintaining the deep tradition of Test cricket.
“We think it can help attract different fans and families to Test cricket.”
For West Indies, it will the second time they will be playing a day/night Test, as they are scheduled to face Pakistan in their first-ever such game in the first Test in Dubai next week.
That game will be only the second day/night Test following on from Australia’s clash with New Zealand in Adelaide last year, with the England/Windies fixture being the third to be staged.
Harrison said the new concept had the potential to unleash new possibilities for growing the game.
“We think it can help attract different fans and families to Test cricket and the innovation will certainly put the five-day game under the spotlight in a very busy summer for the game.
“A number of Test nations are looking at day-night Tests as a way of building further interest in our most traditional format. We’re glad to be supporting that and adding to the understanding of how this might develop in different countries,” Harrison pointed out.
“Our partners can also see the clear opportunity and have been supportive as we build towards this big occasion next August.
“We would like to thank the West Indies Cricket Board and Warwickshire CCC in particular for their support. Edgbaston has a great tradition of staging Test cricket and we’re really looking forward to working with them on this innovation.”
In preparation for the game, West Indies’ three-day tour match against Derbyshire from August 11-13 will be played under lights using a pink ball.
West Indies play three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and a single Twenty20 International on their tour of England which runs from August 17 to September 29.
