Ashes 2027: Venues confirmed but north of England shut out again

The five venues for the 2027 men's Ashes series in England have been confirmed, with Lord's, The Oval, Trent Bridge, the Utilita Bowl and Edgbaston selected to host the five Tests. The series will be played in the UK summer months - the exact dates have not yet been announced, with the last Ashes played in England running from 16 June to 31 July 2023.

Southampton makes history

It will be the first time the Utilita Bowl in Southampton hosts a men's Ashes Test match, making it the 10th UK ground to stage one. Trent Bridge, The Oval and Lord's are set to host men's Ashes Tests in both 2027 and 2031. However, Old Trafford (Manchester) and Headingley (Leeds) were not selected for the 2027 series, meaning there will be no venue in the north of England for the five-match contest, with Trent Bridge in Nottingham the most northerly ground on the list.

Northern snub sparks political backlash

The absence of northern venues has provoked a strong reaction. Matches are allocated to venues based on a number of criteria, including maximising attendances and supporting the economic sustainability of grounds, but the decision has gone down badly in the region. In 2023, the mayors of Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire wrote to the England and Wales Cricket Board expressing their "disappointment" and urged the ECB to rethink the venues.

"There should always be a men's Ashes Test in the north of England, in any series," Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham told the BBC. "If we're going to get the game to all parts of the country and really make sure that it's connecting with people everywhere, we've got to have a men's Ashes test in the north," he added.

Stokes: 'A bit devastated'

England captain Ben Stokes said he thinks the team "perform well in the northern grounds, especially at Headingley".

"I'm a bit devastated that there won't be any Ashes cricket here in 2027 in the North. It's a shame. I don't make those calls, but if I was involved, I would have said, 'please keep at least one game in the north'," he added.

It will be the fourth time in the last seven Ashes series in England that Headingley has not featured on the list. Yorkshire CEO Sanjay Patel offered a blunt assessment of the decision.

"At a time where we feel like we really needed help, we haven't been given those games," said Patel.

There is some consolation for the north: Old Trafford and Headingley have been selected to feature in the 2031 edition of the Ashes.