INTERNATIONAL men's cricket is returning to Taunton next year, as England take on South Africa at the Cooper Associates County Ground.

England will face the Proteas at Taunton in the second NatWest IT20 on Friday June 23rd.

It will be the first men's international cricket game to be staged at the Cooper Associates County Ground since 1999 when two ICC World Cup fixtures were held in Taunton. 

Somerset CCC CEO Guy Lavender said: “The prospect of the best players in the world showcasing their talent in Somerset is something that our Members and supporters have been waiting a long time for and we are absolutely delighted that this will be happening in less than 12 months’ time.

“Bringing international cricket to Taunton has been a long process and thanks to the hard work of many people connected to the Club, this is now a reality. 

“The Cooper Associates County Ground is now one of the best non-test match grounds in the country and we are extremely proud to be staging such a prestigious fixture. 

“This match will not just be good for the Club, it will benefit the local community as a whole with cricket supporters from all over the world heading to the South West.”

It won’t be the first time that England have played at the venue, after a team led by Bob Willis overcame Sri Lanka by 47 runs in the 1983 World Cup. 

That match saw the Somerset faithful entertained by David Gower who made a classy 130 and local hero Vic Marks who took five for 39.

ECB chief executive officer Tom Harrison said: “It promises to be a memorable summer of cricket for all our international grounds and a particularly special one for Somerset CCC which will host its first England men’s fixture for more than thirty years; a great opportunity for the county to further capitalise on its strong support for England women’s cricket in recent years.”

Tickets for this match will go on sale in the autumn and further details will be distributed in due course.