The World Test Championship (WTC) final will return to the Oval in 2027. The success of last year’s final at Lord’s, which South Africa won, persuaded the ICC to award England the rights to host the next three finals, but the showpiece will return to the Oval next June as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), owner of Lord’s, proposes to improve the playing field. The decision to postpone was made by the ECB under the terms of its agreement with the ICC, and was partly due to concerns about the quality of the pitches at Lord’s. The ground received its first penalty point from the ICC last month after the surface was rated “unsatisfactory” for England’s Test against New Zealand and the MCC admitted they had an issue to resolve.
The WTC finals were originally planned to return to Lord’s next year following the success of the 2025 tournament, although this was never publicly confirmed. The MCC remains hopeful that the match will return to Lord’s in the future, and sources have indicated that the 2029 final could be played there subject to the success of the MCC’s review of its pitches, which includes plans to rebroadcast “underperforming” strips.
The decision is a commercial boost for Surrey, who were originally allocated one Test match next summer but will now play two instead, as well as a fifth Ashes Test. “It is a great honor to host the biggest games in cricket and nothing compares to the ICC World Test Championship final,” said Steve Elworthy, the club’s chief executive.
Other factors influencing the ECB’s decision include the short time between the WTC final (June 9-13) and the second Ashes Test at Lord’s (June 30-July 4), and the belief that the large Bangladeshi population in Greater London made Lord’s an ideal venue for England’s one-off Test match against Bangladesh (May 28-June 1), which is not part of the 2027-29 WTC. cycle.
Emirates Old Trafford Manchester was originally scheduled to play a Test in 2027 but will no longer host it due to the reshuffle, with Cricinfo learning that Lancashire will receive a “steam payment” as a result. In total, England will play seven men’s Test matches next summer – five Ashes Tests, a Bangladesh Test and a WTC final – four of which will be played in London, and none of which will be north of Nottingham.
The first three WTC finals have all been played in England, with New Zealand beating India at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton (then the Ageas Bowl) in 2021, Australia beating India at The Oval in 2023 and South Africa beating Australia at Lord’s last year. The ICC considers this venue ideal as ticket sales are high regardless of the teams involved.
The World Trade Center 2025-2027 is approaching its halfway point. Australia are in first place, followed by South Africa (second) and New Zealand (third), although all three teams still have at least 10 more Test matches to play. Seventh-placed England are unlikely to qualify after just four wins in their first 13 Tests of the cycle, plus a two-point deduction for performing too poorly.
Gaurav Saxena, General Manager, Events and Operations, ICC, said: “The 2027 WTC Final will have special significance as cricket celebrates 150 years of Test cricket… We look forward to working closely with the ECB to deliver another world-class event that will celebrate the enduring legacy of Test cricket and create lasting memories for fans around the world.”