ENGLAND will stage the next three World Test Championship finals, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced.

All of the first three showpieces have been held in England, most recently last month with Lord’s the venue as South Africa were crowned champions for the first time by defeating holders Australia.

Nearly 110,000 people went through the gates of the so-called home of cricket over the course of a Test that lasted four days, although India were reportedly keen to stage the next edition in two years’ time.

The influence the country wields in global cricket affairs led to the assumption India would get their wish, but England have instead been awarded the finals of the 2027, 2029 and 2031 editions by the ICC.

At its annual conference in Singapore, the ICC noted England’s “successful track record in hosting recent finals,” even though Ben Stokes’s side are yet to reach the one-off, winner-takes-all showdown.