The 2020 county Championship game will take place in Sri Lanka, with the club being owned by MCC president Kumar Sangakkara
In a four-day match from March 24 at the legendary Galle International Stadium, Essex, who won the title for the second time in three years last month, will face the Marylebone Cricket Club.
The clash between the MCC and the champions dates back to 1970 and has been played abroad since 2011 — the last edition in Dubai suffered from that most English of interruptions… rain.
Sri Lanka has been selected for several reasons: the MCC’s World Cricket committee will meet there in March, and the match is timed to coincide with England’s World Test Championship matches in the country.
“It is hugely important to support cricket in countries such as Sri Lanka and taking the Champion County match to Galle is a fantastic way for the club to provide its backing for the game on a global level,” he said.
“I am looking forward to playing for and indeed captaining the MCC team, which will be full of exciting young talent ready to challenge the county champions.”
In recent years, the fixture has taken place in Abu Dhabi, Barbados, and Dubai since moving away from Lord’s, which has been running since 1970 in its current form.
The World Cricket Committee of the MCC will also meet in March in Sri Lanka.
