POLL: Headingley selected as venue for World Cup and Ashes

The ground will stage four matches in the tournament to go with an Ashes Test that summer and a one-day international against Pakistan.

Yorkshire were already guaranteed an Ashes Test as part of their staging agreement with the England and Wales Cricket Board negotiated when they bought the Headingley ground in 2006.

Lord’s and The Oval were also guaranteed an England versus Australia Test, with Edgbaston and Old Trafford winning the race to stage the other two fixtures in the five-match series.

The Major Match schedule for 2017-2019, announced last night by the ECB, also confirmed that Yorkshire will stage a Test match against West Indies and a one-day international against South Africa in 2017, plus a Test match against Pakistan and a one-day international against India in 2018.

The fixtures, which will provide a financial boost for a club circa £24m in debt, also reward the efforts Yorkshire are making in the local community – an increasingly important consideration in the major match bidding process.

A mouthwatering spread of games caps a memorable year for the club after they won the County Championship for the first time since 2001.

Mark Arthur, the Yorkshire chief executive, said the club are delighted with their package of games. “World Cups don’t come around very often, so to get four matches is excellent news, while we have some wonderful Tests and one-day internationals to look forward to,” he said.

“The work we are doing throughout the county, particularly in the South Asian community of Leeds and Bradford as part of Sport England’s programme, has really helped our case as well.”

The World Cup fixtures have yet to be announced, with Headingley one of 11 host venues along with Lord’s, Edgbaston, Old Trafford, The Oval, Trent Bridge, Southampton, Durham, Cardiff, Bristol and Taunton – all subject to final International Cricket Council approval next year.

Headingley joy: Page 18.