The 2019 County Championship fixture list has been released. Read on for Middlesex CCC’s schedule for next summer.

The domestic fixture list for the 2019 cricket season has been anounced on Tuesday morning.

The County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup schedule has been unveiled with the season kicking-off off on March 26, when a new era of cricket for Middlesex under head coach Stuart Law gets underway with a three-day first-class game against the university students of Oxford MCCU at Merchant Taylors’ School in Northwood.

The following week Middlesex’s quest for promotion back into the top flight of the Championship begins with a clash against Northamptonshire on Friday, April 5 at Wantage Road, where the Seaxes will be aiming for a repeat of this summer’s victory at the County Ground to get the new term off to a flying start.

First up at the Home of Cricket on April, 11, will be one of Stuart Law’s former counties, Lancashire – relegated from Division One last season.

They will be one of five opponents Middlesex will face in the County Championship at Lord’s in 2019, with the Home of Cricket hosting all but two of Middlesex’s seven home Championship encounters.

The club’s other two Championship games be played in early July at Merchant Taylors’ School, and, for the first time ever, at Radlett Cricket Club’s Brunton Memorial Ground, which will be eagerly awaiting its maiden outing of first-class cricket in mid-June.

The Championship season draws to a close in late September, when Middlesex take on Derbyshire in their final clash of the campaign at Lord’s.

With Stuart Law’s sights firmly set on making significant improvements in the club’s white ball performances, an opening tie against Essex in Chelmsford awaits in the Royal London One-Day Cup on Friday, April 19, before returning to Lord’s just two days later for a Sunday afternoon encounter against Gloucestershire.

Of the club’s four home fifty-over group matches, three will be played at Lord’s in 2019, with the other being played on May, 1 at Radlett, which has become a favoured venue for outground fifty-over cricket in recent years.

With the fifty-over group stages condensed into a little over a fortnight, Middlesex’s final group match of the campaign will be on Tuesday, May, when they finish with a game against Kent in Canterbury.

Middlesex Chief Executive Richard Goatley said: “We’re very much looking forward to an exciting season ahead under Stuart Law’s new stewardship and having recently met up with him I am hugely encouraged for what lays ahead.

“In what is an extremely testing fixture calendar in 2019, with the World Cup and a full summer of international cricket to fit in, we are delighted to be playing five of our County Championship games at Lord’s as well as three of our Royal London One-Day Cup group games.

“Our thanks go to our partners MCC for working with us and ensuring we get to play as much cricket here as physically possible.

“Thanks also to the hosts of our outground Championship and fifty-over cricket in 2019, who as always will make us, and our members feel extremely welcome.

“We know what to expect at Merchant Taylors’, and have achieved success in Northwood before, although this will be the first time that Radlett has hosted a first-class match at Cobden Hill. It is great testament to the hard work head groundsman Nick Searle and his team have put into the facilities at Radlett that they will be hosting first-class cricket, and we are looking forward to heading there in June.”

2019 Specsavers County Championship fixtures

Friday 5th April 2019 v Northamptonshire at Northampton

Thursday 11th April 2019 v Lancashire at Lord’s

Tuesday 14th May v Leicestershire at Lord’s

Monday 27th May v Worcestershire at New Road

Monday 3rd June v Sussex at Lord’s

Monday 10th June v Leicestershire at Grace Road

Monday 17th June v Glamorgan at Radlett

Sunday 30th June v Derbyshire at Derby

Sunday 7th July v Gloucestershire at Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood

Saturday 13th July v Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens

Sunday 18th August v Sussex at Hove

Tuesday 10th September v Durham at Lord’s

Monday 16th September v Lancashire at Old Trafford

Monday 23rd September v Derbyshire at Lord’s

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2019 Royal London One-Day Cup fixtures

Friday 19th April v Essex at Chelmsford

Sunday 21st April v Gloucestershire at Lord’s

Tuesday 23rd April v Hampshire at The Ageas Bowl

Thursday 25th April v Surrey at the Kia Oval

Saturday 27th April v Sussex at Lord’s

Wednesday 1st May v Somerset at Radlett

Sunday 5th May v Glamorgan at Lord’s

Tuesday 7th May v Kent at Canterbury

The Vitality Blast T20 fixtures will be announced at 5pm on Tuesday.

For the latest Middlesex CCC cricket news follow Layth on Twitter @laythy29