ECB sign three-year sponsorship deal with LV= that will cover Test and County cricket

England’s next home series against Australia will be known as the LV= Insurance Ashes as part of a new three-year sponsorship agreement that will cover Test and County Championship cricket in this country.

The ECB did not have a title sponsor for either Test or first-class matches last year but have agreed a deal that will see LV= General Insurance put their name to all series from this summer – including a five-match series against India, the tickets for which go on general sale on Tuesday – until the 2023 season when the Australians tour.

LV= has a long-standing relationship with English cricket, stretching back to 2002, and last put its name to the County Championship between 2007-15.

Its welcome return, following a decision from Specsavers not to renew last April, comes at a time when the governing body is reeling from Covid losses in excess of £100million in 2020.

England Test captain Joe Root said: ‘LV= has been a strong ally of cricket for as long as I can remember, and it is great to have them back as a partner.

‘From a personal point of view when I was starting out in county cricket, I was lucky enough to be awarded the 2012 LV= Breakthrough Player of the Year, which was made even more significant because LV= donated money to my home club in Sheffield as well as the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation.’

Last year, LV= returned to the sport by providing financial support to grassroots clubs struggling against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

‘LV= has a long and proud history of supporting cricket and their return as a partner will benefit all levels of our game,’ said ECB chief executive Tom Harrison.

‘The strength of our partnerships is vital and in LV= I know we have a partner that shares our ambition to support the growth of cricket from grassroots to our England teams.

‘This announcement is great news for domestic and international cricket and builds on the £1million #Funds4Fund community initiative that we have jointly made with LV= to support areas of the recreational game hardest hit by COVID-19.

‘We are excited about the prospect of a summer of cricket that will feature the return of the LV= Insurance County Championship as well as a highly-anticipated LV= Insurance Test Series against India. We know how much our fans are looking forward to a summer of cricket and we continue to work closely with Government and plan for how we can safely welcome supporters back to our venues.’

Heather Knight, England women’s captain, added: ‘The next few years promise to be an exciting time for women’s cricket and to have a partner such as LV= who are committed to investing in all areas of the game is great news.’