Durham Cricket secures international Cricket until 2031, boosting local economy

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today announced that Durham Cricket has successfully secured international Cricket for the North East until 2031.

The Club’s Seat Unique Riverside stadium in Chester le Street will host both men’s and women’s international cricket matches for the next eight years.

In an additional boost for the Club, it has been allocated more games than its current agreement, which ends next year, securing two England men’s games and one England women’s game in 2026 and 2028.

Major cricketing nations such as Australia and India will bring their global superstars to the region in what is being viewed as a major coup for both the Club and the region.

Allocations have been announced for seven years, rather than the previous five-year period, to give venues greater certainty and to encourage sustainable investment in facilities.

Durham Cricket chief executive, Tim Bostock, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured international cricket for the foreseeable future.

“The additional games allocated to us will help the clubs’ revenue and be a further boost to the local economy with thousands of spectators pouring money into Chester le Street and the surrounding area for the next eight years. It also supports our plans for development of the ground and onsite facilities.

“We have provided a stream of players to the England’s men’s squads and with three players in the current Ashes squad, and a pipeline of prospects coming through the first team and academy, we are looking forward to seeing Durham players play international cricket at their home ground for years to come.

“The guarantee of women’s games at the venue is particularly pleasing as we have invested a lot of time and resources into developing the women’s game, from recreational level through to our women’s pathways in the Academy. To be able to come and see the World’s best women’s players will hopefully inspire more girls to participate in Cricket at all levels.”

The Club are hoping to add more international Cricket to the schedule as they will also be bidding to host a number of games in the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 and the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2030, following their successful hosting of three sell out games during the 2019 World Cup.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

• Add me on LinkedIn and Twitter to keep up to date
• And follow Bdaily on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
• Submit press releases to editor@bdaily.co.uk for consideration.