England & Wales Cricket Board Signs Men's Sponsorship With Kia

Kia's extended deal will cover women's and men's int'l matches. ECB

The England & Wales Cricket Board announced England's men's test team signed a deal with Kia, according to Richard Gibson of the London DAILY MAIL. It comes after the agreement with previous supplier Toyota expired at the end of last summer. The South Korean manufacturer already sponsors the England women's team and "now players of both sexes will be expected to arrive for matches in Kia vehicles." The women -- who drive the Sportage model -- have been backed by Kia for the last four years and the company also "puts its name to the six-team women's Twenty20 Super League." The ECB is "also hopeful" of finalizing a new test sponsor next week, with optician Specsavers "in the frame." It will end a 15-month search following Investec's announcement in Jan. '17 that it would end its 10-year agreement three years early (DAILY MAIL, 5/11).