England Extends Sa Agreement

Test series between England and South Africa will comprise five matches after the International Cricket Council granted the clashes ‘icon’ status.

The next series after the current four-Test battle, in South Africa in 2009-10, will include an extra match.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had lobbied for the change.
 
The teams’ current four-test series in England is level after the first match at Lord’s ended in a draw on Monday.

Of the six series between the two countries since South Africa’s readmission to world cricket following the end of its apartheid system, each side has won two and the other two have been drawn.

Cricket South Africa had also called for the expansion, which has now been ratified.