Wednesday, February 1st, 2017

Packed Programme For County Star Clarke Ahead Of New Season

Packed Programme For County Star Clarke Ahead Of New Season

Joe Clarke will pack in a possible 24 days cricket into a 45 day period for England Lions, The North and MCC ahead of the new domestic season with Worcestershire.

The County's leading run-scorer in 2016 will split his time between Sri Lanka and the UAE before rejoining his New Road team-mates at the start of April.

The schedule will involve one three day match, three four day games, eight one-day encounters and a T20 tournament.

It is a programme which should help Clarke to be fully prepared for the start of the 2017 campaign – particularly with the accent on 50 over cricket for much of the early season programme via the Royal London One-Day Cup.

Clarke flies out next week to Sri Lanka with the Lions who will take part in a three-day warm-up game before the two four-day clashes and five ODIs against Sri Lanka 'A' with the series ending on March 11.

The 20-year-old will relocate in Dubai and then Abu Dhabi for the trio of North versus South fixtures before staying in the latter venue for the MCC's four-team T20 tournament and the clash with the Champion County.

Clarke will then head back to New Road with the County having the three-day against Leeds-Bradford MCCU at Weetwood on April 7-9 before the opening Specsavers County Championship match with Glamorgan at the SWALEC Stadium on April 14.

His full winter schedule is:

February 12 -14 Lions three-day warm-up game. Opponents and venue TBC

February 17-20 Lions v Sri Lanka 'A' in Kandy

February 24-27 Lions v Sri Lanka 'A' in Dambulla

March 2 Lions v Sri Lanka 'A' in Dambulla

March 4 Lions v Sri Lanka 'A' in Dambulla

March 6 Lions v Sri Lanka 'A' in Kurunegala

March 9 Lions v Sri Lanka 'A' in Colombo

March 11 Lions v Sri Lanka 'A' in Colombo

March 17 North v South in Dubai

March 19 North v South in Dubai

March 21 North v South in Abu Dhabi

March 24 MCC four-team T20 tournament in Abu Dhabi

March 26-29 MCC v Champion County (Middlesex) in Abu Dhabi.