The 2018 English cricket season ran between 1 April and 27 September 2018 and was the 119th in which the County Championship has been an official competition. It featured first-class, one-day and Twenty20 cricket competitions throughout England and Wales.
The season saw men's international tours by Pakistan, Australia and India, with Pakistan and India playing Test matches against England. The South African and New Zealand women's teams also toured England, each playing three One Day International matches against the England women's cricket team. The three teams also competed in the 2018 England women's Tri-Nation Series Twenty20 competition.
The 18 first-class counties competed in the 2018 County Championship, One-Day Cup and T20 Blast competitions, whilst women's teams played in the 2018 Women's Cricket Super League, 2018 Women's County Championship and the 2018 Women's Twenty20 Cup. The 2018 Minor Counties Championship, MCCA Knockout Trophy and a new Twenty20 competition were competed for by the Minor Counties of England and Wales, and club cricket was played throughout both countries.
International tours Three men's international teams toured England and Wales during the season: Pakistan, Australia and India.England schedule for 2018 confirmed, ECB, 5 September 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018. Pakistan also visited Ireland midway through the tour and played the Irish team's first Test match at Malahide near Dublin.Ireland set to make Test debut against Pakistan next spring, RTÉ, 12 October 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018. In preparation for this match the Irish team played a first-class match against Somerset at Taunton in April.Ireland to play Somerset in Test warm-up, BBC Sport, 12 January 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018. At the end of their tour Pakistan played two T20 matches in Scotland on 12 and 13 June.Scotland to host Pakistan in two T20 internationals in June 2018, BBC Sport, 11 September 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018. The England team played a One Day International (ODI) against Scotland in Edinburgh in June, losing to Scotland for the first time in an ODI.England to host Australia in ODI series in 2018, plus Tests v Pakistan & India, BBC Sport, 5 September 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.Scotland stun England with historic ODI victory led by Calum MacLeod century, The Guardian, 10 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
The South African women's team also toured England to play three One Day International matches against the England women's cricket team in June and to compete in the 2018 England women's Tri-Nation Series Twenty20 competition against England and New Zealand. New Zealand then played three One Day Internationals against England in July.England women to host South Africa, New Zealand in 2018, CricInfo, 16 November 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
In addition the West Indies men's team played a single Twenty20 International against a Rest of the World XI team at Lord's in May 2018 to raise funds for stadiums damaged by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria in September 2017.Lord's to host West Indies v ICC Rest of the World XI fundraising T20I, International Cricket Council, 14 February 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
Pakistan tour
Pakistan played two Test matches against England at Lord's and Headingley at the end of May and beginning of June. The series was drawn, each team winning one match.
Ahead of the Tests, two first-class matches were played against Kent and Northants. Their match against Ireland took place after the two first-class county matches, and a two-day match was played against Leicestershire between this and the first Test against England.County cricket 2018 fixtures released as champs Essex face Yorkshire in opener , Wisden, 29 November 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
Pakistan won the first Test match by nine wickets on the fourth morning, playing "superbly but unspectacularly"Marks V (2018) Pakistan blow away woeful England to seal crushing victory in first Test, The Guardian, 27 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018. to beat England comprehensively.Pakistan win over England their best at Lord's – Waqar Younis, BBC Sport, 27 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.Abdul Majid (2018) Pakistan's crème de la crème performance against England, The Express Tribune, 27 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018. The match was the first time England had lost the opening Test match of an English summer in 23 seasons.Shemilt S (2018) Pakistan beat England by nine wickets in first Test at Lord's, BBC Sport, 27 May 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2018. The BBC's cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew called England's performance "truly dreadful" and was shocked that England could be "outplayed so comprehensively by a touring team at home in May" whist praising Pakistan as looking "sharper, better drilled and more prepared".Agnew J (2018) England v Pakistan: Hosts dreadful at Lord's and do not look like a unit, BBC Sport, 27 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018. Pakistan's "focus on basics", coaching and management were praised by The Express Tribune, whilst former Pakistan bowler Waqar Younis claimed that the win was his country's best at Lord's.Marks V (2018) Lord's humbling should remind ECB that it is easier to sell a winning team, The Guardian, 28 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018. Writing on CricInfo, George Dobell's view was that England's defeat was the "culmination of several years' of ECB policies that have disrespected Test cricket".Dobell G (2018) Dobell: England's humiliation at Lord's was an accident waiting to happen, CricInfo, 27 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
England won the second Test within three days, defeating Pakistan by an innings and 55 runs in an "emphatic victory".England v Pakistan: Victory cannot be used to 'paper over cracks' – Joe Root, BBC Sport, 3 June 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
South Africa women tour
South Africa women played three ODIs against England during June with England winning the series 2–1,England v South Africa: Hosts secure series win with emphatic Canterbury victory, BBC Sport, 15 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018. their ninth consecutive series win against South Africa.Tammy Beaumont century guides England to series win, CricInfo, 15 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018. The matches formed part of the qualification process for the next World Cup
South Africa won the first match at Worcester by seven wickets before England levelled the series at Hove after scoring 331 runs.Shemilt S (2018) England's women lose to South Africa by seven wickets in ODI series opener, BBC Sport, 9 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.England v South Africa: Hosts claim 69-run win to level series at 1–1, BBC Sport, 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018. The final match saw another strong England batting performance at Canterbury with Tammy Beaumont scoring her second century of the series as England won by seven wickets. Beaumont was named as player of the series.Collins A (2018) Tammy Beaumont century wraps up England's series win over South Africa, The Guardian, 15 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
England in Scotland
England played a single ODI against Scotland at The Grange Club in Edinburgh on 10 June. The Scotland team scored 371/5 and bowled England out for 365 to win by six runs, the first time they had beaten England in an ODI. The Scottish score was the highest made by an Associate team against a Full Member team and included a score of 140 not out from Calum MacLeod. Despite a century from Jonny Bairstow, England fell short of what would have been their highest ODI run chase.Shemilt S (2018) Scotland stun England as Calum MacLeod hits 140 not out in Edinburgh, BBC Sport, 10 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.Brilliant Scotland back up Calum MacLeod's 140* to seal first-ever win over England, CricInfo, 10 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018. The match was the England team's only away fixture during the 2018 English season.
Australia tour
Australia played a series of five One Day International matches and a single T20 International against England in June. England won the ODI series 5–0, the first time they had achieved a 5–0 victory against Australia in an ODI series, and also won the T20I match.Shemilt S (2018) England v Australia: Jos Buttler century secures 5–0 ODI whitewash, BBC Sport, 24 June 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2018. The series featured a world record score of 481/6 made by England in the third match of the series, a game they won by 242 runs, with Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow both scoring centuries.Higginson M (2018) England v Australia: Hosts make record 481–6 in 242-run victory, BBC Sport, 19 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
Australia played two warm-up one-day matches against Sussex and Middlesex at the start of June, winning both. After England achieved an "ugly win" in the first match of the series at The OvalMartin A (2018) England's Eoin Morgan happy with ugly win over Australia after Scotland shock, The Guardian, 13 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018. strong batting performances saw them win the next three matches,Jason Roy and Jos Buttler put England out of reach despite Shaun Marsh heroics, CricInfo, 16 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018. including chasing a target of 311 runs in the fourth match, their highest run chase against Australia.Higginson M (2018) England v Australia: Jason Roy stars as hosts close in on ODI whitewash, BBC Sport, 21 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018. The final match was closer, England eventually chasing Australia's score of 205 to win by one wicket, having been 114/8 in 29.4 overs at one point.
Tri-Nation series
The England, South Africa and New Zealand women's teams competed in a three-way T20I competition between 20 June and 1 July. England won the final of the series, which was played at Chelmsford, defeating New Zealand.
The series featured seven matches, six played on a round-robin basis in June with England and New Zealand, the most successful two teams, playing a final on 1 July. The series featured three days of round-robin matches, each with two matches played back-to-back. Four of the fixtures were played at Taunton and two at Bristol. The series followed the ODIs played by South Africa against England and were followed by an ODI series played between England and New Zealand.
India tour
India toured England between July and September, playing five Test matches, three ODIs and three T20Is against England. The T20I series was won 2–1 by India, with the ODI series being won by England by the same margin.
Ahead of the Test matches, which were played in August and September, one first-class match was played against Essex. Before arriving in England, India played two T20Is against Ireland at Malahide, winning both.Ireland to host India in two T20s at Malahide in June, BBC Sport, 10 January 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.T20 tri-series: Ireland to face Scotland & Netherlands in new tournament, BBC Sport, 3 April 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
England won the Test series 4–1, winning the first two Test matches of the series before India won the third. England sealed the series with a victory in the fourth Test at Southampton, with India unable to chase a target of less than 250 runs in their second innings, before winning the final Test in September.
New Zealand women tour
After a series of matches against Ireland in early June and the tri-series in July, New Zealand women played a set of three ODIs against England, with England winning the series 2–1. The matches formed part of the qualification process for the next World Cup.
Domestic cricket MCCU matches