Pioneering mixed disability series to play at Lord’s

England Men’s Mixed Disability team will play at Lord’s against India as part of their pioneering seven-match IT20 series, with visits to three other First-Class grounds among the tour itinerary.

India will come to England in late June, to compete in a trailblazing Vitality IT20 Mixed Disability series – the first of its kind at international level in cricket, bringing together the Physical Disability, Learning Disability and Hearing Impaired formats to mirror England’s domestic Disability Premier League format.

The game at Lord’s – which falls on MCC’s Disability Cricket Day on Wednesday 25 June – is the third of seven IT20s, with games at Taunton, Wormsley, Worcester and Bristol.

Bristol will play host to two IT20s, the first of which – on July 1 – will be a double-header with England Women’s fixture versus India Women, screened live on Sky Sports.

All seven games will be live-streamed on ECB channels.

Saturday 21 June: 1st Mixed Disability Vitality IT20: England Men’s Mixed Disability v India Men’s Mixed Disability, Taunton, 6.30pm

Monday 23 June: 2nd Mixed Disability Vitality IT20: England Men’s Mixed Disability v India Men’s Mixed Disability, Wormsley, 5pm

Wednesday 25 June: 3rd Mixed Disability Vitality IT20: England Men’s Mixed Disability v India Men’s Mixed Disability, Lord's, 3.30pm

Friday 27 June: 4th Mixed Disability Vitality IT20: England Men’s Mixed Disability v India Men’s Mixed Disability, Worcester, 5pm

Sunday 29 June: 5th Mixed Disability Vitality IT20: England Men’s Mixed Disability v India Men’s Mixed Disability, Worcester, 2.30pm

Thursday 1 July: 6th Mixed Disability Vitality IT20: England Men’s Mixed Disability v India Men’s Mixed Disability, Bristol, 2pm

Tuesday 3 July: 7th Mixed Disability Vitality IT20: England Men’s Mixed Disability v India Men’s Mixed Disability, Bristol, 6.30pm

Head of Disability Cricket Ian Martin said: “It’s every cricketer’s dream to play at Lord’s and playing at HQ will make this series even more special.

“It’s already new and exciting, but to know we’ll be at Lord’s and to know as well that we’ll be at so many other fantastic venues makes it feel even more real. We can’t wait for it to start now.

“We always say with Disability Cricket, you only need to see it to immediately understand how good the cricket is and how entertaining it is. We haven’t played mixed disability cricket at international level before but we know from the DPL that this format brings together the best of the best, and I just can’t wait for people to see it and be blown away.

“It’s great that the final Vitality IT20 will be on Sky, as well as the live-streaming on ECB channels. The more people who we can bring to this series, and this format of cricket, the better.”

Nick Read, MD for the Vitality programme said: “Today’s announcement from the ECB announcing that England Men’s Mixed Disability team will play at Lord’s with one double-header widely televised and all games live-streamed is an important moment for cricket, and a representation of the work being done to make the game accessible and inclusive to all.

“Living an active life is key to our health and wellbeing, and yet Sports England finds that disabled people are almost twice as likely to be physically inactive. We hope today’s announcement and showcasing disability cricket in this way, is an important moment in breaking down some of the inequalities that exist in supporting people with a disability to play cricket and other sports, and to living an active life.”