LANCASHIRE County Cricket Club has announced their fixture list for the 2020 season with Liverpool, Blackpool and Sedbergh all set to host games next summer.

The Red Rose will begin the new season with a three-day fixture against Durham MCCU at Emirates Old Trafford on Tuesday, April 7. A week later, head coach Glen Chapple’s side will commence the County Championship campaign, back in Division One following last year’s promotion, with a home fixture against Kent at Emirates Old Trafford, starting on Sunday, April 12.

Lancashire will start the season with six rounds of the County Championship, of which all matches include cricket being played at the weekend, before the Vitality Blast starts at the end of May.

For the first time since 2002, Lancashire will play all seven home County Championship fixtures at Emirates Old Trafford.

Liverpool Cricket Club's Aigburth ground will host the county’s opening Vitality Blast fixture against Northants Steelbacks on Friday, May 29, as The Killers concert will be taking place at Emirates Old Trafford one day later. Liverpool CC successfully hosted a sold-out T20 fixture two years ago with Leicestershire Foxes the visitors when Emirates Old Trafford was used for Radiohead's Manchester concert.

Paul Allott, Lancashire’s Director of Cricket, said: “We’re delighted with the way the fixture list has worked out and our thanks must go to the ECB for their cooperation, as well as the three outgrounds which we will be using next summer.

“It’s great news to have all seven of our home County Championship fixtures at Emirates Old Trafford which is the first time that has happened in 17 years. Furthermore, we’re really happy with the increased amount of First-Class cricket being played across weekends, as we know how important that is to our Members.”

Three out of four of Lancashire’s Royal London Cup fixtures, which this year is not regionalised as per previous seasons, will be played at outgrounds in 2020, due to the ECB’s Hundred competition being played at the same time. The first game of the competition starts against Middlesex at Sedbergh School, before a trip to South Northumberland against Durham the week later. Blackpool CC and Liverpool CC will both host home fixtures against Worcestershire and Essex respectively, whilst there will also be trips to Canterbury, Bristol and the Isle of Wight.

Sedbergh School will host also the inaugural National Counties fixture between Cumberland and Lancashire on Friday, July 17 as a warm-up to Lancashire’s Royal London Cup campaign, which will then see Middlesex visit Sedbergh on Sunday, July 19. There will also be a Women’s Hundred fixture the following Sunday (July 24) against the Oval Invincibles making a festival of cricket with three games within a week.

Allott added: “We are very much looking forward to our Royal London Cup fixtures at Blackpool, Liverpool and Sedbergh School next year. The club has worked closely with staff and officials at Stanley Park over the last year, particularly in relation to the drainage issues there in recent times, whilst Liverpool very successfully hosted last year’s First-Class fixture against Leicestershire. Sedbergh School’s hosting of the four-day fixture against Durham last year has encouraged the county to return for a 50 over game in 2020.

“Whilst there is not a fixture at Southport and Birkdale Cricket Club next year, Lancashire Cricket has a very good relationship with those at Trafalgar Road and remain committed to working closely together. As part of that, the Club’s ground staff team will provide support with the aim of getting Southport back on the rota, possibly as early as the 2021 season.”

The club’s final home County Championship fixture will be against Gloucestershire on Monday, September 14, but it is the trip to Canterbury on Tuesday, September 22 that will bring the curtain down on the 2020 domestic season for the Red Rose.

Tickets for Lancashire’s Vitality Blast clash against Yorkshire Vikings, which is played at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday 10 July, go on sale next Friday (December 6) with all other fixtures going on sale in March.

Lancashire 2020 Fixtures

County Championship fixtures

Sun 12 – 15 April - Lancashire vs Kent – Emirates Old Trafford

Sun 19 – 23 April - Gloucestershire vs Lancashire – The Brightside Ground

Sat 25 – 28 April - Warwickshire vs Lancashire - Edgbaston

Fri 1 – 4 May - Lancashire vs Essex – Emirates Old Trafford

Fri 15 – 18 May - Lancashire vs Somerset – Emirates Old Trafford

Fri 22 – 25 May - Hampshire vs Lancashire – Ageas Bowl

Sun 14 – 17 June - Yorkshire vs Lancashire – Scarborough

Sun 28 June – 1 July - Lancashire vs Warwickshire – Emirates Old Trafford

Sun 5 – 8 July - Northamptonshire vs Lancashire – County Ground, Northampton

Sun 23 - 26 August - Lancashire vs Surrey – Emirates Old Trafford

Sat 29 August – 2 Sept - Essex vs Lancashire - The Cloudfm County Ground

Tues 8 – 11 September – Lancashire vs Yorkshire – Emirates Old Trafford

Mon 14 – 17 September – Lancashire vs Gloucestershire – Emirates Old Trafford

Tues 22 – 25 September – Kent vs Lancashire – Canterbury

Royal London Cup fixtures

Sun 19 July – Lancashire vs Middlesex – Sedbergh School

Fri 24 July – Durham vs Lancashire – South Northumberland

Sun 26 July – Gloucestershire vs Lancashire – The Brightside Ground

Wed 29 July – Lancashire vs Worcestershire – Blackpool Cricket Club

Sun 2 August – Lancashire vs Sussex – Emirates Old Trafford

Tues 4 August – Lancashire vs Essex – Liverpool Cricket Club

Thurs 6 August – Kent vs Lancashire – Canterbury

Sun 9 August – Hampshire vs Lancashire – Newclose, Isle of Wight

Vitality Blast fixtures

Fri 29 May – Lancashire Lightning vs Northants Steelbacks – Liverpool Cricket Club

Sun 31 May – Derbyshire Falcons vs Lancashire Lightning – Pattonair County Ground

Thurs 4 June – Yorkshire Vikings vs Lancashire Lightning – Emerald Headingley

Fri 5 June – Birmingham Bears vs Lancashire Lightning – Edgbaston

Sun 7 June – Lancashire Lightning vs Durham – Emirates Old Trafford

Weds 10 June – Lancashire Lightning vs Leicestershire Foxes - Emirates Old Trafford

Fri 12 June – Lancashire Lightning vs Derbyshire Falcons – Emirates Old Trafford

Sun 21 June – Lancashire Lightning vs Notts Outlaws – Emirates Old Trafford

Weds 24 June – Northants Steelbacks vs Lancashire Lightning – County Ground

Fri 26 June – Durham vs Lancashire – Emirates Riverside

Thurs 2 July – Lancashire vs Worcestershire Rapids – Emirates Old Trafford

Fri 3 July – Notts Outlaws vs Lancashire Lightning – Trent Bridge

Fri 10 July – Lancashire Lightning vs Yorkshire Vikings – Emirates Old Trafford

Sun 12 July – Worcestershire Rapids vs Lancashire Lightning, Blackfinch New Road