WE MIGHT not be in 2022 just yet but the countdown to next year's cricket season has already begun in Shropshire.

Shropshire County Cricket Club’s fixtures for the forthcoming season have been released by the National Counties Cricket Association – with venues for the matches now also confirmed.

The county’s fixture list includes four three-day NCCA Championship matches, as well as group games in both the NCCA Twenty20 Cup and 50-over NCCA Trophy competition.

Next season is scheduled to start for Shropshire with four group fixtures in the Twenty20 Cup, which will feature two T20 matches each day.

The county’s two opening matches in the competition will be away to Cheshire at Bowdon on Sunday, April 17.

Shropshire will then host Staffordshire at Whitchurch on April 24, before heading to Netherfield to face Cumbria on May 1 and hosting Northumberland at Whitchurch just 24 hours later on May 2.

Shropshire will face Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Norfolk and Suffolk in the group stage of the NCCA Trophy.

A home game against Suffolk at Oswestry will begin Shropshire’s 50-over campaign on Sunday, June 5, with matches also scheduled for the three other Sundays in June.

Shropshire will travel to Burwell & Exning CC to play Cambridgeshire on June 12, host Cheshire at Wem on June 19 and complete their group fixtures away to Norfolk at Manor Park, Norwich on June 26.

Shropshire will open their NCCA Championship Western Division Two season with a three-day match away to Wiltshire at Corsham between July 3-5.

Home matches in the championship will be against Wales at Oswestry from July 10-12 and Devon at Bridgnorth from August 14-16, with a trip to St Austell to face Cornwall in between from July 24-26.

A 50-over showcase match for NCCA counties against a first-class county is also planned for next summer, with Shifnal to host Shropshire’s fixture, with the date and opponents still to be confirmed.

Here's a full list of Shropshire County Cricket Club’s 2022 fixtures:

National Counties Cricket Association Twenty20 competition

April 17: Cheshire (A) at Bowdon CC

April 24: Staffordshire (H) at Whitchurch CC

May 1: Cumbria (A) at Netherfield CC

May 2: Northumberland (H) at Whitchurch CC

May 22: T20 Finals Day

National Counties Cricket Association Trophy

June 5: Suffolk (H) at Oswestry CC

June 12: Cambridgeshire (A) at Burwell & Exning CC

June 19: Cheshire (H) at Wem CC

June 26: Norfolk (A) at Manor Park, Norwich

July 17: Trophy quarter-finals

August 7: Trophy semi-finals

August 28: Trophy final

National Counties Cricket Association Championship

July 3-5: Wiltshire (A) at Corsham CC

July 10-12: Wales (H) at Oswestry CC

July 24-26: Cornwall (A) at St Austell CC

August 14-16: Devon (H) at Bridgnorth CC