Johannesburg, South Africa – England’s cricket schedule for the 2026/27 season has been confirmed, with a three-Test series against world champions South Africa set to take place over the Christmas and New Year period. The tour will also include a three-match One Day International (ODI) series in January 2027, though plans for a Twenty20 (T20) series have been postponed due to scheduling conflicts.
The highly anticipated Test series will begin on at the iconic Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The second Test will be played at SuperSport Park in Centurion, commencing on Boxing Day, . The series will conclude with the traditional New Year’s Test at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, starting on .
England secured a notable 3-1 series victory during their last Test tour of South Africa in 2019/20, recovering from an initial one-nil deficit to claim the series win. The upcoming tour presents an opportunity to replicate that success against a formidable South African side.
Following the Test series, the focus will shift to the ODI format. The first ODI is scheduled for at Boland Park in Paarl. The remaining two matches will be held at the Manguang Oval in Bloemfontein on and , respectively.
The planned T20 series has been removed from the schedule due to clashes with South Africa’s domestic T20 league, the SA20. Both the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa are reportedly exploring possibilities to reschedule the T20 matches at a later date.
This announcement comes ahead of another significant tour for South Africa, with Australia scheduled to arrive in October for a three-Test series. The first match will be held in Durban on , followed by Tests in Gqeberha and Cape Town. The Australian tour will also include a three-match ODI series.
The upcoming Australia-South Africa series carries particular weight, marking the first Test encounter between the two nations in South Africa since the controversial 2018 tour. That series was marred by a ball-tampering scandal involving then-Australian captain Steve Smith, who admitted to using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball. The incident sparked widespread condemnation and led to significant sanctions for Smith and other members of the Australian team.
South Africa will also host Bangladesh in November for two Tests in Johannesburg and Pretoria, alongside three ODIs and three T20 Internationals. This busy schedule of international cricket underscores South Africa’s importance as a key venue for the sport.
Looking further ahead, South Africa is co-hosting the 2027 Cricket World Cup alongside Namibia and Zimbabwe, with the tournament slated to take place between October and November of that year. The confirmation of these tours and the preparations for the World Cup highlight South Africa’s commitment to developing and promoting cricket on a global scale.
England’s 2026/27 Tour of South Africa: Full Schedule
Test Series:
- First Test: Wanderers, Johannesburg ( – )
- Second Test: SuperSport Park, Centurion ( – )
- Third Test: Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town ( – )
ODI Series:
- First ODI: Boland Park, Paarl ()
- Second ODI: Manguang Oval, Bloemfontein ()
- Third ODI: Manguang Oval, Bloemfontein ()
