England’s summer of cricket
The England cricket team have an exciting summer ahead of them. Starting at Lord’s in June with the visit of New Zealand for the start of a 2-day Test, Twenty20 and One Day International’s versus Sri Lanka and Pakistan and India on the horizon too, fans won’t want to miss out.
New Zealand
Fans will be hoping for perfect weather in the English capital for the first of two tests against New Zealand this summer. Lord’s is an ideal venue to welcome back fans of the national team, who will be looking to rebound from three successive defeats to India between February and March.
The Blackcaps thrashed Bangladesh 3-0 in their Twenty20 series that finished on 1 April, but the latest concerns are over their players in the IPL2021 amid health worries. At this stage they are still expected to travel to England later in the year.
Fans who are unable to attend in person or can’t access the game on their TV should check out live cricket streaming sites in order to watch all of the action from Lords and Edgbaston for the second Test.
Sri Lanka
England stay on home soil towards the end of June for the visit of Sri Lanka. The first match is a series of three Twenty20 matches before three One Day Internationals, concluding on 4 July.
The first two T20 matches taking place in Cardiff, Wales before the final meeting in Southampton. England current rank top of the ICC Men’s T20I rankings with Sri Lanka all the way down in ninth.
Three days’ later and the start of the One Day Internationals between the same two nations. County Durham, The Oval and Bristol play hosts to each of the three matches. England swept the series 2-0 over in Sri Lanka back in January and will be widely expected to sweep this one too.
Pakistan
The English cricket board will be hoping fans can attend matches this summer as they remain in the United Kingdom for the visit of Pakistan in July. Cardiff, Lord’s and Edgbaston play host for the One Day Internationals versus the team currently ranked sixth in the ICC chart.
Fans enjoy talking and watching sports inside the grounds but are just as happy to do so together in pubs or at home if needed. This particular series starts towards the end of the Euro 2020 football tournament in which Gareth Southgate’s England will be hoping to go all the way.
After the ODI, Chris Silverwood’s cricket team continue to tour the country for the Twenty20 series against the same nation, with Trent Bridge, Headingley and Old Trafford the venues.
England will be expected to win this penultimate series of the summer before concluding with the toughest fixture of the year.
India
England’s summer concludes with a five-match Test series versus the number one team in the world, India. The last meeting between these two back in March saw India win the One Day International series 2-1 on home soil.
The Three Lions were also beaten 3-2 in the T20 and 3-1 in a Test earlier in the month in what was a complete whitewash.
Rohit Sharma was the star of the latter as he produced 345 runs and five catches, which included 161 in the second Test that is among the best this century. Wicket keeper Rishabh Pant really made a name for himself in this series too, with 270 runs of his own as well as eight catches and five stumpings.
India actually rank below England in second for both the ICC’s ODI and T20I rankings.