Tests for Leeds but Ashes joy at Trent Bridge

Nottinghamshire were the big winners when the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Trent Bridge and Old Trafford will stage 2013 Ashes Tests along with Lord’s, The Oval and Durham’s Riverside.

While Lancashire, Warwickshire and Glamorgan must content themselves with one Test each against Australia spread over two series – Edgbaston and the SWALEC Stadium’s turn will be 2015 – Nottinghamshire have learned they, like England’s two London venues, will be used in each of the Ashes summers.

Yorkshire – around £20m in debt – decided not to enter the bidding process to stage an Ashes Test at Headingley Carnegie due to the financial risk involved.

The county will, however, host a Test against South Africa next year and others against New Zealand (2013 and 2015) and Sri Lanka (2014 and 2016).

One-day internationals will also be played in Leeds against the West Indies (2012), Australia (2013 and 2015), India (2014) and Pakistan (2016) after the ECB delivered the independent major match group’s decision not just on which venues will stage the next two Ashes series but also other international fixtures between 2013 and 2016.

For Nottinghamshire in particular, the revenue they can expect from England-Australia Tests is vindication of millions spent on upgrading facilities and presenting a compelling case.

For other counties, there will be disappointment as they seek to stay in the black in an increasingly dire financial climate.

Cardiff, which staged the first Test of England’s home Ashes series victory in 2009, incurred significant losses over this summer’s rainy five days against Sri Lanka.

But while Glamorgan can, therefore, be encouraged at remaining in the Ashes picture, there is no place in the Test calendar against Australia for Hampshire’s much-admired venue at the Rose Bowl.

They must content themselves with one-day internationals against Australia and Tests which host other tourists.

Bristol, meanwhile, has not been awarded any international match against Australia but will host New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka in one-day internationals.

The major match group is chaired by Lord Bill Morris, who explained the decision-making process. “Lord’s is the home of cricket and demonstrated to the major match group its unique iconic status and the exceptional benefits which staging major matches at Lord’s can bring to the game.

“The group also noted the MCC’s commitment to further develop the facilities at Lord’s as well as the significant support which MCC provides to university and community cricket in England and Wales and the game around the world.

“As a result of these exceptional characteristics, Lord’s has been awarded the ‘platinum package’.”

Lord Morris added his personal congratulations to those who have bid successfully, and commiserations with others, as he said. “There will now be a period of certainty for these venues, although we appreciate that some venues may be disappointed not to have obtained a better package of matches.”

ECB chairman Giles Clarke added: “The quality of the submissions made by the venues was outstanding and reflects the importance to regions as well as venues in staging major matches.

“The awards for the next five-year period will enable counties to review and where necessary revise their business plans with the certainty of their match programme over a substantial period of time.”

Stuart Broad has been told he does not need surgery on his shoulder, but the seamer concedes there is next to no chance of him playing again for England this year.

Broad tore a muscle in his right shoulder 11 days ago during England’s one-day international against India at Lord’s.

The injury ruled him out of the final ODI against the tourists at the Swalec Stadium, this weekend’s two Twenty20 internationals against the West Indies, and the five ODIs in India next month.

It had been hoped the 25-year-old, who replaced Paul Collingwood as Twenty20 captain in May, would be fit to face Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team in Kolkata in the tour’s only Twenty20 game on October 29.

However, Broad conceded last night that was all but impossible.

“The shoulder is still quite sore. It’s a two-month injury so I’m concentrating on making sure I am in the best possible shape for the games against Pakistan in January,” Broad said.

“It’s not 100 per cent confirmed I’ll not play in India but I’ll only play if the rehab goes fantastically well.

“It’s good news that I don’t need surgery. There is always an extra risk with surgery so that would be a worry.

“It is a two-month recovery time though so I need to get that right and make sure it is completely over and I don’t have any side effects with it.”

Should Broad miss the Twenty20 game in India, Graeme Swann will continue to fill in as captain as Eoin Morgan has been ruled out until the new year, also with a shoulder injury.

Swann will captain England in this weekend’s two-match Twenty20 series at The Oval, which begins today.