Derbyshire Life finds out about the exciting fixtures in store at Derbyshire’s 3aaa County Ground this summer
INTERNATIONAL women’s cricket will be coming to Derby this year with the County Ground acting as one of the main venues for this summer’s ICC Women’s World Cup.
The tournament schedule sees Derby hosting eight games, including two England matches, starting with the opener on Saturday 24th June against India.
India will feature in four games at Derby, including the much-anticipated clash with their closest rivals Pakistan on Sunday 2nd July. While the highly-fancied New Zealand side will compete in three games, including a big fixture versus England on Wednesday 12th July.
Derby will be one of five host cities at this summer’s world cup. It’s the first global sporting event to be held in the city since the men’s Cricket World Cup in 1999, at the same venue.
The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 will be the eleventh edition of the tournament and the third to be held in England (after the 1973 and 1993 tournaments). Eight teams will compete to be world champions.
During the bidding process, the club erected a giant set of cricket stumps, manufactured by Briggs of Burton, on the Pentagon Roundabout, funded by over 60 local businesses as part of the #WereBackingTheBid campaign. The stumps will act as a lasting legacy, while the club hopes the global sporting event will also inspire young women across the county.
Chief Executive, Simon Storey, said at the time: ‘It’s tremendous news for the city and the wider county that Derby has been selected to host matches at this summer’s Women’s Cricket World Cup. A huge amount of work went into our bid which focused on why Derby is ideally placed to take its spot on the global sporting stage. We’re very grateful for the support we have received from across the community; from the local cricket clubs and girls and women cricketers, to the businesses who backed our bid financially.
‘The unique support that we received from across the county – which is symbolised by the giant stumps – has helped us demonstrate that the city of Derby is a great place to live, work, enjoy sport and will be a great destination for visitors from across the world.
‘It’s also an opportunity for us to create a lasting legacy, not only for the growth of women’s cricket in Derbyshire, but also to use the power of sport to inspire young women to achieve their ambitions on and off the sporting field. We’re looking forward to a great summer of international cricket at the 3aaa County Ground in 2017.’
Derby City Council Leader, Ranjit Banwait, added: ‘Derby has a fantastic opportunity with the Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2017 to once again become a leading city in the public eye and to a global audience.
‘It will also attract visitors, grow local business and create jobs for local people. It’s an exciting prospect for the city.’
Since tickets went on sale on 8th March demand has been high for the 31 matches. The most sought after match has been the final at Lord’s on Sunday 23rd July, with total sales now past 10,000. England v India, the opening match in Derby, has been so popular that it is sure to be sold out.
Hosts England will be banking on strong home support with its games all in popular demand.
Other top selling matches include:
• England v Pakistan in Leicester
• India v Pakistan in Derby
• The semi-finals in Bristol and Derby
Tournament Director of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, Steve Elworthy, said: ‘Preparations are now well under way for this summer’s tournament which we hope will push new boundaries for the women’s game. We have worked hard with the venues to put together a schedule that best meets the needs of the players, fans and broadcasters. Confirming the start date as Saturday 24th June, means we have an additional weekend of cricket and it promises to be an exciting opening weekend for everyone involved.’
A round-robin between the world’s eight best teams will conclude with the semi-finals at Bristol and Derby before the final at Lord’s on 23rd July. The two semi-finals will be played at Bristol on 18th July and in Derby on 20th July.
Tickets are currently on sale via www.icc-cricket.com/tickets.
