The absence of a men’s Ashes Test in the north of England in 2027 is a direct result of the decision to switch a match from Hampshire to Headingley for Australia’s last visit in 2023.
Next year, Hampshire’s home in Southampton will host an Ashes Test for the first time, with both Old Trafford in Manchester and Headingley in Leeds missing out.
As first reported by the Guardian, Southampton was due to host the Australians in 2023, only for the match to be changed.
Hampshire were awarded more than £1m in compensation by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), then subsequently given an Ashes Test in 2027.
Neither Hampshire nor the ECB have commented.
The Ashes venues for 2023 were announced in 2018, when the ECB was chaired by Colin Graves.
Graves, the current Yorkshire chair, held the same position at Headingley prior to his time with the ECB.
He told the Guardian he was not involved in the allocation of matches.
“I always left the room when their recommendations were discussed by the board. I was not involved,” he said.
The method for allocating matches in the 2023 series was under the ECB’s old, ‘competitive tender’ process, where venues essentially made financial bids to host fixtures.
The governing body has since moved to a rotation system, which it believes is fairer.
The rotation system was backed by the 18 first-class counties and Marylebone Cricket Club, and was used to allocate major matches up to 2031.
From 2031, the ECB plans to host at least one men’s Ashes Test in the north of England, with Southampton receiving a men’s Test in every other Ashes series.
Both Headingley and Old Trafford have hosted a men’s Test in the two previous home Ashes series.
Next year, the most northerly men’s Ashes Test will take place at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, while Headingley will host the sole women’s Ashes Test.