Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Ashes legal dispute: Hampshire damages claim led to lack of 2027 Test in north of England

September 11, 2026 · The Guardian

A past legal conflict between Hampshire and the England and Wales Cricket Board is the driving factor behind the absence of Ashes matches across northern England in the upcoming 2027 campaign. The county took formal action against the governing body after failing to secure a fixture during the 2023 series against Australia, culminating in the ECB handing over approximately £1m in compensation. That contentious 2023 slot had instead been awarded to Yorkshire's home ground, Headingley, which ended up staging the third Test where England secured a dramatic three-wicket triumph.