ICC WWC 2017 schedule for Leicester announced

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has today revealed the full match schedule for this summer’s ICC Women’s World Cup in England and Wales, including seven fixtures in Leicester. 

Leicester will be the home venue for Pakistan with five of their seven matches being staged at Grace Road including games against England on 27 June and Australia on 5 July.

England and Pakistan met in a Women’s One Day International at the ground last year with Heather Knight performing exceptionally well with bat and ball in her first game as captain. 

Leicester will host seven of the eight teams that have qualified for the tournament, with India, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies also visiting Grace Road.

Ticket prices represent excellent value at £10 adults, £5 for students (aged between 17 and 23-years-old) and just £2 for under 16s for each individual game. Tickets for all matches go on sale from 12pm GMT today via: https://www.icc-cricket.com/tickets/womens-world-cup. Matchday hospitality packages are also available by calling Leicestershire CCC directly on 0116 283 2128.

As part of the schedule and ticket launch on International Women’s Day, a countdown clock to the tournament is being unveiled in Leicester’s Town Hall Square today at 10.30am.

The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Cllr Stephen Corrall, assistant city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair and Leicestershire CCC Chief Executive Wasim Khan MBE will be in attendance, along with children from Rushey Mead Primary School, who will play a game of Kwik Cricket with England internationals Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell and Kate Cross.

Leicestershire CCC Chief Executive Wasim Khan MBE said: “We are delighted to announce an exciting schedule of matches with the world’s best players visiting the region. Hosting the England v Pakistan match last season was a huge honour, so it is great that the teams will be returning here for an ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 fixture.

“We look forward to hosting all of the teams and to welcoming cricket fans from across the world in what is a huge event for the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland, as well as the nation.” 

Assistant city mayor for culture, leisure and sport Cllr Piara Singh Clair said: “We’re very proud that Leicester will be part of this major tournament and we look forward to welcoming cricket fans from around the world  to our city in June.”

The tournament will get underway on Saturday 24 June as 28 matches will be held over 21 days, and importantly four weekends of action meaning more opportunities for fans to attend. A round-robin between the world’s eight best teams will conclude in Semi-Finals at Bristol and Derby before the final at Lords on 23 July.

As tickets go on sale today at noon, David Richardson, the ICC Chief Executive, said: ‘I can’t think of a better moment than International Women’s Day to unveil the schedule of one of the leading global events in women’s sport.

“We are anticipating an exciting tournament and I know the players are looking forward to competing here in front of unprecedented levels of support. We’ve already sold 9000 tickets for the final at Lord’s which bodes well for the rest of the event going on sale today. I know we can always count on the British sport loving public to support big events.

“After the extremely successful qualifying tournament in Sri Lanka last month, we can already see that there will be some fiercely contested fixtures as the standard and competitiveness of women’s cricket continues to rise.”

Hosts England face India on the opening day – the team that defeated them in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2013 – in a highly anticipated fixture at Derby while powerhouses New Zealand face qualifiers Sri Lanka at Bristol on the same day – 24 June.

India will feature in four games at Derby, including the much-anticipated clash with their closest rivals Pakistan on Sunday 2 July. India will also take on the West Indies at Taunton, Australia at Bristol and South Africa at Leicester.

England will take on the six time and reigning champions Australia at Bristol on Sunday 9 July and the highly fancied New Zealand at Derby on 12 July. The big hitting West Indies, runners-up in ICC Women’s World Cup 2013, will play three matches at Taunton including the repeat of the Mumbai final against Australia in the opening match at the County Ground on 26 June.

Individual team fixtures below:

England

England v India – Derby, County Ground – Saturday 24 June
England v Pakistan – Grace Road, Leicester – Tuesday 27 June
England v Sri Lanka – County Ground, Somerset – Sunday 2 July
England v South Africa – County Ground, Bristol – Wednesday 5 July
England v Australia – County Ground, Bristol – Sunday 9 July
England v New Zealand – County Ground, Derby – Wednesday 12 July
England v West Indies – County Ground, Bristol – Saturday 15 July

India

England v India – Derby, County Ground – Saturday 24 June
West Indies v India – County Ground, Somerset – Thursday 29 June
India v Pakistan – County Ground, Derby – Sunday 2 July
Sri Lanka v India – County Ground, Derby – Wednesday 5 July
South Africa v India – Grace Round, Leicester – Saturday 8 July
Australia v India – County Ground, Bristol – Sunday 12 July
India v New Zealand – County Ground, Derby – Saturday 15 July

Australia

Australia v West Indies – County Ground, Somerset – Monday 26 June
Sri Lanka v Australia – County Ground, Bristol – Thursday 29 June
Australia v New Zealand – County Ground, Bristol – Sunday 2 July
Pakistan v Australia – Grace Road, Leicester – Wednesday 5 July
Australia v India – County Ground, Bristol – Sunday 9 July
England v Australia – County Ground, Bristol – Sunday 12 July
South Africa v Australia – County Ground, Somerset – Saturday 15 July

West Indies

Australia v West Indies – County Ground, Somerset – Monday 26 June
West Indies v India – County Ground, Somerset – Thursday 29 June
South Africa v West Indies – Grace Road, Leicester – Sunday 2 July
New Zealand v West Indies – County Ground, Somerset – Thursday 6 July
West Indies v Sri Lanka – County Ground, Derby – Sunday 9 July
West Indies v Pakistan – Grace Road, Leicester – Tuesday 11 July
England v West Indies – County Ground, Bristol – Saturday 15 July

Pakistan

Pakistan v South Africa – Grace Road, Leicester – Sunday 25 June
England v Pakistan – Grace Road, Leicester – Tuesday 27 June
India v Pakistan – County Ground, Derby – Sunday 2 July
Pakistan v Australia – Grace Road, Leicester – Wednesday 5 July
New Zealand v Pakistan – County Ground, Taunton - Saturday 8 July
West Indies v Pakistan – Grace Road, Leicester – Tuesday 11 July
Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Grace Road, Leicester – Saturday 15 July

Sri Lanka

New Zealand v Sri Lanka – County Ground, Bristol – Saturday 24 June
Sri Lanka v Australia – County Ground, Bristol – Thursday 29 June
England v Sri Lanka – County Ground, Somerset – Sunday 2 July
Sri Lanka v India – County Ground, Derby – Wednesday 5 July
West Indies v Sri Lanka – County Ground, Derby – Sunday 9 July
Sri Lanka v South Africa – County Ground, Somerset – Wednesday 12 July
Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Grace Road, Leicester – Saturday 15 July

New Zealand

New Zealand v Sri Lanka – County Ground, Bristol – Saturday 24 June
South Africa v New Zealand – County Ground, Derby – Wednesday 28 June
Australia v New Zealand – County Ground, Bristol – Sunday 2 July
New Zealand v West Indies – County Ground, Somerset – Thursday 6 July
New Zealand v Pakistan – County Ground, Taunton - Saturday 8 July
England v New Zealand – County Ground, Derby – Wednesday 12 July
India v New Zealand – County Ground, Derby – Saturday 15 July

South Africa

Pakistan v South Africa – Grace Road, Leicester – Sunday 25 June
South Africa v New Zealand – County Ground, Derby – Wednesday 28 June
South Africa v West Indies – Grace Road, Leicester – Sunday 2 July
England v South Africa – County Ground, Bristol – Wednesday 5 July
South Africa v India – Grace Round, Leicester – Saturday 8 July
Sri Lanka v South Africa – County Ground, Somerset – Wednesday 12 July
South Africa v Australia – County Ground, Somerset – Saturday 15 July

Knockout

Semi Final 1 – County Ground, Bristol – Tuesday 18 July 
Semi Final 2 – County Ground, Derby – Thursday 20 July 
Final – Lord’s – Sunday 23 July 

*All matches will start at 10.30 (UK time)