England will face Sri Lanka in the 3rd npower Test at the start of June and Michael Vaughan and his men will return to the city on Friday September 8 for a floodlit clash with Pakistan in the NatWest Series.

But the real bonus for Notts is securing the prestigious Twenty20 Finals Day - which was achieved in the face of stiff opposition.

Said Notts' Commercial Director Lisa Pursehouse: "We are absolutely delighted that our bid has been successful and I think it reflects the faith which the ECB have in us to stage big occasions.

"We have a proven track record for filling the ground and running big matches with great efficiency and I'm sure these were key factors in the decision.

"It was a magnificent day two years ago when we staged the inaugural Twenty20 final and knowing that other counties were keen to secure the event for 2006, we thought the chances of us getting it again so soon must have been slim.

"But our proposal has been successful and it's brilliant news that our members and supporters will have easy access to one of the showpiece sporting occasions of the summer."

Twenty20 Finals day will be Saturday August 12 - the reserve day is the Sunday - and that date sits perfectly in the middle of an outstanding programme of action at Trent Bridge.

For the first time ever, the Nottingham Test will start on a Friday when Sri Lanka take on England from June 2-6.

Added Ms Pursehouse: "Although the Trent Bridge Test normally takes place in August, we managed to sell out for the first three days when New Zealand came in June last year and I'm confident we will do so again.

"When you think that we will go straight into the Twenty20 group matches after the Test, and they will be followed by Finals Day and the One-day International in September, everything is set for a fantastic summer in 2006.

"It's certainly going to be hectic but we can say with some certainty that it will be a great time to be a Notts cricket follower."

Said Notts chief executive Derek Brewer: "Getting the Twenty20 Final is not only excellent news for the club but also for the city and county because it is guaranteed to bring a huge amount of extra trade to the local busines community.

"Lisa Pursehouse deserves tremendous credit for her part in securing the final for the second time in three years and we look forward to showing yet again that when it comes to organising the big occasions in cricket, we take some beating."


While ticket prices have not been confirmed yet, itis expected that International tickets will go on sale to Notts CCC Members in August 2005 and to the general public inSeptember.