Tour fixtures confirmed for 2017 season

The full fixture lists for South Africa's and West Indies' tours of England next summer have been confirmed by the ECB, with ten different counties hosting tour matches in the course of the season, as well as an expanded programme of matches for England Lions in both red- and white-ball cricket.

Sussex and Northamptonshire will each host South Africa in one-day warm-up games ahead of the three-match ODI series in May, with Leicestershire scheduled to host a T20 tour match if South Africa fail to reach the final of the Champions Trophy in June.

South Africa's preparations for their four-match Test series will include a three-day game against England Lions at Worcester, while the Lions are also due to take on South Africa A in three one-day games, one at Trent Bridge and two at Northampton, before a four-day unofficial Test at Canterbury.

South Africa A's month-long tour will also include a four-day game at Arundel - a ground with a long tradition of hosting international sides.

Later in the season, Essex, Kent and Derbyshire will each stage three-day tour matches against West Indies as part of the tourists' build-up to their three-match Test series. Leicestershire will also host the tourists in a two-day tour match, if they are not involved in the NatWest Blast T20 Finals' Day.

Tom Harrison, the ECB's chief executive, said: "We're very pleased to have agreed such a comprehensive touring programme for 2017 - a schedule which will provide fans with even more opportunities to see two international teams in action at county grounds; and help our Lions players test themselves against high quality opposition in both red and white-ball cricket.

"With this country also hosting the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women's World Cup next season, 2017 promises to be a hugely exciting summer of cricket - and a strong platform to promote our sport to an even wider and more diverse audience."