Sky Sports announce live 2012 county cricket schedule

January 18, 2012   ·   0 Comments

Sky Sports have announced a schedule of more than 60 county cricket fixtures to be broadcast live as part of its 2012 domestic cricket coverage.

Each county will be shown at least three times this summer, in matches from the Clydesdale Bank 40, LV= County Championship and Friends Life t20.

The season starts with a repeat of the 2011 Clydesdale Bank 40 final between champions Surrey Lions and Somerset, two of the most dynamic and exciting teams in the game.

The Friends Life t20 competition begins when three-time champions Leicestershire Foxes play against local rivals Nottinghamshire Outlaws, who will include former Leicestershire star James Taylor.

In addition, two matches from the LV= County Championship will be shown this summer, including the champions Lancashire at Sussex.

Sky Sports live domestic schedule for 2012 includes:

CLYDESDALE BANK 40: Coverage begins on May 4 and features 35 live group matches, including 21 day-nighters, both semi-finals and the final live from Lord’s in September. For the first time, Sky Sports will show the Netherlands who play against Gloucestershire in Amstelveen live on July 27.

FRIENDS LIFE t20: Friends Life t20 is back to a format of 10 group games with the 18 counties split into three regional groups. Sky Sports will show 25 games live, including seven day-nighters, all four quarter-finals and for the first time, Finals Day is live from the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff on August 25.

LV= COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP: The first of two matches from the LV= County Championship to be shown live on Sky Sports is Lancashire at Sussex on May 9-12, which is eight days prior to England’s first Test of the summer. Sky Sports will also cover the final round of matches in September.

Sky Sports county cricket coverage will be presented by Ian Ward and Charles Colvile with some of the biggest names from the sport in the commentary box, including Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Bob Willis, David Lloyd, Michael Holding, Nick Knight and Paul Allott.

Cricket Executive Producer for Sky Sports, Paul King said: “Summer 2012 looks set to be one of our best ever and there are so many stories in the county game. Can Somerset finally win a trophy? Are the glory days back at Old Trafford after Lancashire’s County Championship win? Will there be another surprise winner of the t20?

“Our commitment to cricket continues with England looking to retain that number one spot in Test cricket and there’s the challenge of the Aussies in the one-day game. There are internationals in Edinburgh and Belfast, four live women’s games and the best of the amateur teams in the Cockspur Cup finals day. I can’t wait.”

County cricket is just part of Sky Sports’ live cricket schedule for 2012, which includes all of England’s home Investec Test Series, NatWest Series One-Day Internationals and NatWest International T20 matches against the West Indies and South Africa.

Sky Sports will also screen England’s NatWest International ODI matches against Australia and an ODI against Scotland in August.

2012 County Cricket live on Sky Sports:

Clydesdale Bank 40

Friday May 4: Surrey v Somerset
Sunday May 6: Yorkshire v Kent
Monday May 7: Middlesex v Gloucestershire
Thursday May 24: Sussex v Yorkshire
Thursday May 31: Hampshire v Nottinghamshire
Friday June 1: Kent v Warwickshire
Sunday June 3: Durham v Nottinghamshire
Monday June 4: Essex v Gloucestershire
Tuesday June 5: Lancashire v Worcestershire
Wednesday July 11: Warwickshire v Sussex
Thursday July 12: Welsh Dragons v Somerset
Friday July 13: Northamptonshire v Derbyshire
Saturday July 14: Leicestershire v Worcestershire
Sunday July 15: Hampshire v Durham
Monday July 16: Lancashire v Middlesex
Tuesday July 17: Nottinghamshire v Hampshire
Wednesday July 18: Essex v Middlesex
Friday July 27: Netherlands v Gloucestershire
Saturday July 28: Somerset v Welsh Dragons
Sunday July 29: Worcestershire v Essex
Monday July 30: Lancashire v Gloucestershire
Tuesday July 31: Derbyshire v Kent
Wednesday August 1: Nottinghamshire v Surrey
Tuesday August 7: Warwickshire v Yorkshire
Wednesday August 8: Derbyshire v Sussex
Thursday August 9: Northamptonshire v Yorkshire
Friday August 10: Welsh Dragons v Hampshire
Saturday August 11: Durham v Surrey
Monday August 13: Warwickshire v Kent
Tuesday August 14: Hampshire v Somerset
Wednesday August 15: Sussex v Warwickshire
Tuesday August 21: Surrey v Welsh Dragons
Wednesday August 22: Kent v Yorkshire
Thursday August 23: Essex v Lancashire
Monday August 27: CB40 TBC
Saturday September 1: CB40 Semi Finals (both)
Saturday September 15: CB40 Final

Friends Life t20

Tuesday June 12: Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire
Wednesday June 13: Somerset v Warwickshire
Thursday June 14: Sussex v Hampshire
Friday June 15: Warwickshire v Worcestershire
Sunday June 17: Somerset v Northamptonshire
Monday June 18: Derbyshire v Yorkshire
Wednesday June 20: Surrey v Hampshire
Thursday June 21: Middlesex v Essex
Monday June 25: Lancashire v Durham
Tuesday June 26: Kent v Middlesex
Wednesday June 27: Leicestershire v Yorkshire
Thursday June 28: Essex v Sussex
Saturday June 30: Hampshire v Surrey
Monday July 2: Gloucestershire v Welsh Dragons
Tuesday July 3: Nottinghamshire v Lancashire
Thursday July 5: FPt20 TBC
Friday July 6: FPt20 TBC
Sunday July 8: FPt20 TBC
Tuesday July 24: FPt20 Quarter Final x 2
Wednesday July 25: FPt20 Quarter Final x 2
Saturday August 25: FPt20 Finals Day

LV= County Championship

Wednesday May 9 – 12: Sussex v Lancashire
Tuesday September 11 – 14: TBC

Tags: Bob Willis, Charles Colvile, Cyldesdale Bank 40, Friends Life t20, Ian Ward, LV= County Championship, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Sky Sports