Royal London extend sponsorship of English one-day cricket

Royal London, the title sponsors of English one-day cricket, have extended their deal with the ECB for a further two years.

The partnership, which encompasses England men's and women's domestic and international one-day cricket, will now be extended until the end of the 2019 season.

The marquee fixtures in that period will include a five-match one-day series against Australia and a three-match series against India next summer, as England's men build towards the World Cup in 2019.

The announcement is a boost for the ECB's commercial department, who suffered a setback earlier this year when Investec, the title sponsors of English Test cricket, activated a break clause with four years remaining on their £40 million ten-year deal.

"It's exciting that Royal London want to extend their relationship with cricket still further - building on the successful partnership we've forged together over the past four years," said Sanjay Patel, the ECB's commercial director.

"With the England's men's one-day team victorious in all three one-day series last summer, the England women's team winning the ICC Women's World Cup and the Royal London One-Day Cup serving up a memorable Lord's final, the 50-Over format continues to enjoy a significant media profile and offer valuable brand exposure.

Emma Hill, Group Head of Brand and Sponsorship, Royal London said: "Our initial partnership with the ECB began at an important time in the company's history as we re-launched the Royal London brand.

"Owing to a very successful four years of cricket sponsorship, we're thrilled to be committing to the sport for another two years as we continue on our brand building journey. Like cricket, we're a brand steeped in rich heritage and tradition and we're excited about what we can achieve in partnership together over the next two years."