England are likely to host Ireland for a four-day Test at Lord’s in July 2019, according to newspaper reports from the country.
The Test will serve as vital preparation for Joe Root’s men ahead of the home Ashes against Australia and talks between the two boards were in an “advanced” stage, The Guardian reported on Saturday, 2 June.
The match is set to be held in the break between the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which ends on 14 July, and the Australia Tests, helping England get into the groove of the red-ball game after a summer of limited-overs focus.
Australia are current holders of the Ashes, after England crumbled to a 4-0 loss in the Tests in Australia last winter. The 2019 Ashes – the dates for the matches haven’t yet been announced – will kick off the ICC’s new nine-team World Test Championship.
The Lord’s fixture against Ireland will have 98 overs played every day, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed to the paper.
The Test will be Ireland’s second, after their maiden outing in Malahide against Pakistan in May. Pakistan won the Test by five wickets, but not before the debutants gave them a scare.
In the 2017 summer, Ireland completed a historic first tour of England, which included a one-day international at Lord’s. They lifted their game for the occasion, but could post just 243 in response to England’s 328/6.
