Cricket: Black Caps in talks with English cricket to help save local clubs

Surrey have offered to host a "Thank You Test" against the world No 1 Black Caps in early June and pledged to donate the estimated £3 million (NZ$5.6m) in profits to help put English club cricket back on its feet.

The England and Wales Cricket Board is close to finalising a two-Test series against New Zealand at the start of a busy summer that already includes five Tests against India.

Edgbaston, which is not yet hosting a Test this summer, will almost certainly be a venue for one of the matches, with Surrey bidding to host the other. If successful, it would be the first time the Kia Oval has hosted two Tests in a summer.

Surrey's bid document was submitted to the ECB on Saturday and outlined their plans to brand the match as the "Thank You Test", with around 2-3,000 tickets every day donated to key workers and NHS staff. Surrey would stage the match at cost price and donate ticket sales, and other match-day revenue, to cricket charities.

The match would mark the opening of the £27 million stand at the Kia Oval, which raises capacity to 28,000. Even if social distancing is in place by June, and capacity is reduced to half, Surrey are still confident they can hit their £3 million target.

"That can be passed on to the cricket network. Cricket clubs that rely heavily on bar profits and subscriptions are on their knees," Richard Thompson, the Surrey chairman, said. He estimates the county have lost £30 million in revenue during the pandemic.

The newly-crowned world number one side is exercising its clout on the world stage. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White told Stuff that the two test series against England is part of a plan for a busy year of matches for the Black Caps.

Away series against Bangladesh (Twenty20) and Pakistan (T20 and one-day internationals) are planned to take place before the T20 World Cup in India in October-November, followed by two tests against India in India where they are in the midst of a 14-test unbeaten streak.

That schedule would mean the Black Caps would be touring foreign soil until December when Bangladesh and South Africa arrive for next summer's main touring schedule which has two tests apiece and limited overs matches pencilled in to take place.