England to host men’s and women’s Ashes series starting June 2026. Both series will run concurrently through June and July, echoing the 2023 schedule.
The England men’s team is scheduled to begin their quest to regain the Ashes from Australia at Trent Bridge on 18 June next year. This will be followed by the women’s series, which is set to commence six days later. Both series will run concurrently through June and July, echoing the schedule of 2023.
The men’s Ashes will feature five Tests. After the opening match in Nottingham, the second Test will be held at Lord’s starting on 30 June, with the third Test at Edgbaston from 8 July. The Utilita Bowl in Southampton is poised to become the tenth UK ground to host a men’s Ashes Test when it stages the fourth match beginning on 21 July. The series will then conclude at the Kia Oval from 29 July.
Notably, the men’s team will not play any Tests in the north of England, as Emirates Old Trafford and Headingley were not selected as venues. This decision had drawn criticism when it was announced in 2023.
Women’s Ashes and other fixtures
The multi-format Women’s Ashes is scheduled from 24 June to 20 July. The series will open with a four-day Test match at Headingley starting on 24 June. This marks the first time a women’s Ashes Test will be held in Leeds since 2001. England women, who lost to Australia in 2025, will be aiming for their first Ashes Test victory since 2014.
Following the Test, the women’s teams will compete in three T20s, beginning on 3 July at Trent Bridge, followed by matches at the Kia Oval and Emirates Old Trafford. Three One-Day Internationals will then take place, starting on 13 July at Southampton, with further matches at Lord’s and Edgbaston. In the multi-format series, a Test victory is worth four points, while each white-ball game win is worth two points.
Before the Ashes, the England men’s team will prepare by facing Bangladesh in a one-off Test at Lord’s, scheduled to start on 28 May. Australia will have a warm-up game against England Lions at Old Trafford from 7-10 June. This match is part of a new reciprocal agreement between the countries to arrange high-quality opposition at an international venue. However, this warm-up fixture will be reviewed if Australia reaches the ICC World Test Championship Final.
The ICC World Test Championship Final is set to take place at the Kia Oval from 9 June. This will be the second time The Oval has hosted the final, following its previous hosting in 2023. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that it has been awarded the right to host the next three finals in London in 2027, 2029, and 2031, with The Oval confirmed for 2027.
Full summer schedule
The England men’s summer will commence with a five-match ODI series against Pakistan in May. The series begins on 15 May at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, followed by matches at Old Trafford, Headingley, Durham, and Cardiff. After the Ashes, the men’s team will conclude their summer with three T20s and five ODIs against New Zealand in September, in preparation for the 50-over World Cup starting in October.
The England women’s team will host Bangladesh in a three-match T20 series and a three-match ODI series in September. The T20 series starts on 8 September at Northampton, with subsequent matches at Taunton and Worcester. The ODI series against Bangladesh will be played at Hove, Canterbury, and Chelmsford, starting on 17 September.
Additionally, the ECB has announced that an England men’s mixed disability team will also face Australia next summer, with specific dates and venues to be confirmed.
Read Also
- Spain's Gavi believes Argentina's Paredes should not face suspension after World Cup final incident
- World Cup 2030 to span six countries across three continents
- Southern Brave women secure opening win against Welsh Fire in The Hundred
- Southampton: Welsh Fire men's team defeats Southern Brave in Hundred opener
Source: bbc.com
