South Africa to warm up for Test series with England Lions fixture at Worcester

28 September 2016 03:23

England Lions will face South Africa in a three-day tour match at Worcester before next summer's Investec Test series.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced a programme of eight tour matches to be played in 2017 by South Africa and West Indies.

The Lions' fixture against South Africa between June 29 and July 1 will the highest-profile, scheduled to end five days before the start of the first Test at Lord's.

South Africa's three other tour fixtures will be two 50-over contests - against Sussex and then Northamptonshire on May 19 and 21, before a three-match one-day international series - and then a provisional Twenty20 warm-up against Leicestershire on June 18.

That match will be cancelled if South Africa reach the final of the ICC Champions Trophy.

In the second half of the summer, West Indies will have three three-day tour matches in early August - initially while the England-South Africa Test series is ongoing - against Essex, Kent and Derbyshire.

They will then play a two-day match between their own second and third Tests on September 2 and 3 at Grace Road, where their opponents will be Leicestershire - or an ECB XI, should the county team be involved in that same weekend's NatWest Blast T20 finals day at Edgbaston.

West Indies will warm up for the limited-overs leg of their tour of England with a one-off ODI against Ireland on September 13 - the venue for which is yet to be confirmed.

England Lions will also take on South Africa A in a three-match ODI series in early June at Trent Bridge and concluding with the final two fixtures in Northampton.

ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said: "We're very pleased to have agreed such a comprehensive touring programme for 2017 - a schedule which will provide fans with even more opportunities to see two international teams in action at county grounds; and help our Lions players test themselves against high quality opposition in both red and white-ball cricket.

"With this country also hosting the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women's World Cup next season, 2017 promises to be a hugely exciting summer of cricket - and a strong platform to promote our sport to an even wider and more diverse audience."

Source: PA