The England & Wales Cricket Board announced that NatWest will become its principal partner. The new partnership will build on over 35 years of collaboration and see NatWest enhance its support of cricket at all levels. The four-year deal, which starts in May, is the most significant sponsorship NatWest has ever undertaken and means that by '20 the brand will have been supporting cricket in England and Wales for 40 years. Under the expanded partnership NatWest will play a key role in all aspects of the ECB's plans to grow the game; supporting efforts to drive participation with amateur clubs and leagues and strengthening the connection between cricket fans and the England men's, women's, age-group and national disability teams; NatWest brand will also appear on all the England teams' shirts. The agreement builds on NatWest's previous commitment to supporting key cricket projects including the award-winning NatWest CricketForce, the ECB's volunteering initiative which attracted a record number of clubs again this year (ECB). ESPN reported the shirt part of the deal -- which includes all England teams -- "begins at the start of the busiest international summer which includes the Champions Trophy, Women's World Cup, full tours by South Africa and West Indies and a visit by Ireland at the start of the season" (ESPN, 7/28).
