The World Test Championship (WTC) final will return to The Oval in 2027. The success of last year's final at Lord's, which South Africa won, convinced the ICC to give England hosting rights for the next three finals but the showpiece will move back to The Oval next June as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the proprietors of Lord's, bids to improve the ground's pitches.
The decision to shift was made by the ECB, under the terms of its agreement with the ICC, and was informed, in part, by concern over the quality of pitches at Lord's. The ground received its first demerit point from the ICC last month after producing a surface rated "unsatisfactory" for England's Test against New Zealand, and MCC has accepted they have a problem to solve.
The WTC final was initially pencilled in to return to Lord's next year after the success of the 2025 edition, although this was never confirmed publicly. The MCC remains hopeful that the fixture will return to Lord's in future, and sources indicated that the 2029 final could be played there subject to the success of MCC's review of its pitches, which includes plans to relay "underperforming" strips.
The decision is a commercial boost for Surrey, who were initially allocated one Test match next summer but will now host two instead, along with the fifth Ashes Test. "It's an honour to host the biggest games in cricket and it doesn't get much bigger than the ICC World Test Championship Final," Steve Elworthy, the club's chief executive, said.
Other factors in the ECB's decision are understood to include the short turnaround between the WTC final (June 9-13) and the second Ashes Test at Lord's (June 30-July 4), and a belief that the substantial Bangladeshi population in greater London made Lord's an ideal host for England's one-off Test match against Bangladesh (May 28-June 1).
Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester was initially allocated a Test for 2027 but will no longer stage one as a result of the reshuffle, and Cricinfo has learned that Lancashire will receive a "fallow payment" as a result. In all, England will stage seven men's Test matches next summer - five Ashes Tests, the Bangladesh Test and the WTC final - with four played in London and none of them further north than Nottingham.
The first three WTC finals were all staged in England: New Zealand beat India at Southampton's Utilita Bowl (then Ageas Bowl) in 2021, Australia beat India at The Oval in 2023, and South Africa beat Australia at Lord's last year. It is seen as an ideal venue by the ICC since ticket sales are strong regardless of the teams involved.
The 2025-27 edition of the WTC is approaching its halfway mark. Australia sit top with South Africa (second) and New Zealand (third) close behind, though all three teams have at least 10 more Test matches to play. England, placed seventh, are highly unlikely to qualify after just four wins in their first 13 Tests in the cycle, plus two points deductions for slow over rates.
Gaurav Saxena, the ICC's general manager of events and operations, said: "The 2027 WTC final will hold special significance as cricket celebrates 150 years of Test cricket… We look forward to working closely with the ECB to deliver another world-class event that celebrates the enduring legacy of Test cricket and creates lasting memories for fans around the world."
The ECB also confirmed England men's and women's fixture lists for the 2027 summer on Thursday.