Lancashire Cricket Club confirm plan to return to Blackpool in 2022 after this season's one-day fixture is moved

The one-day group game against Worcestershire on August 8 was initially earmarked for Stanley Park.

However, The Gazette reported yesterday that the fixture would be moved because Blackpool CC could not guarantee that drainage work would be completed in time.

Lancashire’s penultimate group game in the Royal London Cup will instead be played at Emirates Old Trafford.

A Red Rose statement reads: “Following conversations between Lancashire Cricket and Blackpool, the decision has been made to postpone the return to Stanley Park by 12 months.”

Director of cricket Paul Allott said: “Over the last week, myself and head groundsman Matt Merchant have had a number of conversations with David Cresswell, chairman at Blackpool Cricket Club, and reached a mutual agreement to postpone the hosting of a Royal London Cup fixture until 2022 in order to allow Blackpool to undertake necessary outfield renovations.

“We look forward to our positive relationship and discussions continuing with Blackpool over the next 12 months, with a view to Lancashire Cricket playing at Stanley Park in the near future.”

This means a four-year wait for the Red Rose first team to return to Blackpool: Stanley Park last staged a fixture in the one-day competition against Warwickshire in May 2018.

It also means Lancashire’s only outground games this season will be the Royal London Cup opener against Sussex at Sedbergh School on July 23 and the 50-over warm-up game against Cumbria at the same venue three days earlier. These games are set to be the first featuring Lancashire’s Indian international recruit Shreyas Iyer.

Lancashire added: “Following the success and positive feedback received from many members and supporters after Sedbergh School hosted its first Lancashire fixture in 2019 against Durham, the club is keen to continue to build on its strengthening relationship within Cumbria and we believe that playing two games there in July will allow us to further grow the game in this region.

“As part of this, we will be looking to engage and grow the All Stars and Dynamo Cricket programmes across north Lancashire and Cumbria and hopefully tie these into the two fixtures at Sedbergh School.”

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