A home away from home

The first match of the English domestic season will continue to take place over 4,000 miles away from Britain after the MCC confirmed the champion county fixture will again take place in Abu Dhabi.

As part of the ongoing experimentation into day-night first-class cricket, the MCC will play Warwickshire under lights with a pink ball at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium from March 24-27. It will be the fourth consecutive overseas opening to the English season.

“After the ICC's recent endorsement of day-night Test cricket, I hope it will be the last such game before we see two countries playing a Test in the format - if it hasn't happened before March,” MCC head of cricket John Stephenson said.

The main obstacle to day-night first-class cricket is the colour of ball. Kookaburra’s pink variety will again be used in March but it received a lukewarm response after a trial match between Kent and Glamorgan at the end of the 2011 season.