There’s a bumper year of cricket in 2017.
In international cricket there’s a firm focus on white-ball cricket from the off as England continue in India with three ODIs and as many T20 internationals before heading to the Caribbean for a three-match ODI series against West Indies.
Three home ODIs against South Africa in May are the prelude to the mouth-watering 2017 ICC Champions Trophy when hosts England will aim to go one better than in 2013 when they lost the final to India at Edgbaston by five runs.
It all begins on June 1 when England take on Bangladesh in Group A, which also includes Australia and New Zealand, with the first game in Cardiff on June 6th as England face New Zealand before the tournament culminates in London on June 18.
South Africa's tour continues on June 21 with three T20s and four Tests before England's extended, action-packed season powers on with three Tests, five ODIs and one T20 against West Indies from August 17 to September 29.
It's a huge year for England Women too as they go for glory on home turf in the ICC Women's World Cup in late June.
After Glamorgan qualified for their first home NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final in twelve years, the Welsh county will be aiming to go one better in the shortest format and make it to Finals day for only the second time with the competition in a more condensed block of fixtures into the school summer holidays this year.
Both limited overs competitions are being played in distinctive blocks during 2017, with Glamorgan’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign starting in late April, with Surrey the first visitors to Cardiff for the 50-over competition, whilst the first-class season will start earlier than ever as The SSE SWALEC hosts the clash with Cardiff MCCU 28-30 March, and the Championship starting the following week.
January
6-9: Football - FA Cup third round
7-15: Darts - BDO World Professional Championships, Lakeside
14 Jan-5 Feb: Football - Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon
14: Boxing - James DeGale v Badou Jack, IBF and WBC super-middleweight world title fight, New York
15, 19 & 22: Cricket - India v England, ODIs
16-29: Tennis - Australian Open, Melbourne
26, 29 & 1 Feb: Cricket - India v England, Twenty20 internationals
27-30: Football - FA Cup fourth round
28: Boxing - Carl Frampton v Leo Santa Cruz, WBA featherweight world title fight, Las Vegas, USA
February
4: Rugby union - Six Nations: Scotland v Ireland, England v France
5: Rugby union - Six Nations: Italy v Wales
5: American football - Super Bowl, Houston, USA
9: Rugby League - Super League season starts
11: Rugby union - Six Nations: Italy v Ireland, Wales v England
12: Rugby union - Six Nations: France v Scotland
14-15 & 21-22: Football - Champions League last 16
18-19: Football - FA Cup fifth round
18-19: Rugby League - World Club Series
25: Rugby union - Six Nations: Scotland v Wales, Ireland v France
26: Rugby union - Six Nations: England v Italy
26: Football - EFL Cup final, Wembley
March
3, 5 & 9: Cricket - West Indies v England ODIs
4: Boxing - David Haye v Tony Bellew, heavyweight fight, London
5: Ice hockey - Challenge Cup final, Cardiff
10: Rugby union - Six Nations: Wales v Ireland
11: Rugby union - Six Nations: Italy v France, England v Scotland
11-12: Football - FA Cup quarter-finals
14-17: Horse racing - Cheltenham Festival
18: Rugby union - Six Nations: Scotland v Italy, France v Wales, Ireland v England
24: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifier: Republic of Ireland v Wales (Group D)
26: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Northern Ireland v Norway (Group C); Scotland v Slovenia, England v Lithuania (Group F)
26: Formula 1 - Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne
April
1-2: Rugby union - European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup quarter-finals
2: Rowing - Boat Races, London
6-9: Golf - Masters, Augusta, USA
7: Cricket - County Championship season starts – Northants v Glamorgan
8: Horse racing - Grand National, Aintree
9: Formula 1 - Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
11-12: Football - Champions League quarter-finals,
15 Apr-1 May: Snooker - World Championship, Sheffield
22-23: Football - FA Cup and Scottish Cup semi-finals
22-23: Rugby union - European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals
23: Athletics - London Marathon
27: Cricket – Royal London One Day Cup Glos v Glamorgan
28-30: Cycling - Tour de Yorkshire
29: Boxing - Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko, heavyweight world title fight, Wembley Stadium
May
2-3: Football - Champions League semi-finals
5 & 7: Cricket - England v Ireland, ODIs
12: Rugby union - European Rugby Challenge Cup final, Edinburgh
13: Football - Women's FA Cup final, Wembley
13: Rugby union - European Rugby Champions Cup final, Edinburgh
20-21: Rugby League - Magic Weekend, Newcastle
20-21: Rugby union - World Sevens Series, Twickenham
21: Football - Premier League and SPL seasons end
24, 27 & 29: Cricket - England v South Africa, ODIs
26 May-3 Jun: Sailing - America's Cup, Bermuda
27: Football - FA Cup final and Scottish Cup final
27: Rugby union - Premiership final, Twickenham
27: Rugby union - Pro12 Grand Final, Dublin
28: Formula 1 - Monaco Grand Prix
29: Football - Championship Play-off Final, Wembley
29 May-11 Jun: Tennis - French Open, Roland Garros
June
1: Football - Women's Champions League final, Cardiff
1-18: Cricket - Champions Trophy, England (Cardiff, Edgbaston and The Oval) - full fixtures
3: Football - Champions League final, Cardiff
4-8 & 10-12: Sailing - America's Cup play-offs, Bermuda
10: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Scotland v England (Group F), Azerbaijan v Northern Ireland (Group C)
11: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Serbia v Wales, Republic of Ireland v Austria (Group D)
15-18: Golf - US Open, Erin Hills, Wisconsin
16-30: Football - European Under-21 Championship, Poland
17 Jun-2 Jul: Football - Confederations Cup, Russia
17, 18, 24 & 25: Sailing - America's Cup, Bermuda
20-24: Horse racing - Royal Ascot
21, 23 & 25: Cricket - England v South Africa, Twenty20 internationals – Cardiff hosts the decider
24: Rugby union - New Zealand v British & Irish Lions, first Test, Auckland;
26 Jun-23 Jul: Cricket - Women's World Cup, England
26-29: Cricket - full round of day/night matches in the County Championship
July
1: Rugby union - New Zealand v British & Irish Lions, second Test, Wellington
1: Cricket - One-Day Cup final, Lord's
1-23: Cycling - Tour de France
3-16: Tennis - Wimbledon
6-10: Cricket - England v South Africa, first Test, Lord's
7: Cricket – NatWest T20 Blast starts – Glamorgan v Hampshire
8: Rugby union - New Zealand v British & Irish Lions, third Test, Auckland
9: Athletics - London Anniversary Games, London Stadium
14-18: Cricket - England v South Africa, second Test, Trent Bridge
16: Formula 1 - British Grand Prix, Silverstone
20-23: Golf - The Open, Royal Birkdale
27-31: Cricket - England v South Africa, third Test, The Oval
August
4-8: Cricket - England v South Africa, fourth Test, Old Trafford
4-13: Athletics - World Championships, London
10-13: Golf - US PGA Championship, Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
17-21: Cricket - England v West Indies, first Test, Edgbaston (first day-night Test in England)
18-20: Golf - Solheim Cup, Des Moines, USA
25-29: Cricket - England v West Indies, second Test, Headingley
26: Rugby league - Challenge Cup final, Wembley
September
1: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Malta v England, Lithuania v Scotland (Group F), San Marino v Northern Ireland (Group C)
2: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Wales v Austria, Georgia v Republic of Ireland (Group D)
2: Cricket - T20 Blast Finals Day, Edgbaston
3-10: Cycling - Tour of Britain
4: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: England v Slovakia, Scotland v Malta (Group F), Northern Ireland v Czech Republic (Group C)
5: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Moldova v Wales, Republic of Ireland v Serbia (Group D)
7-11: Cricket - England v West Indies, third Test, Lord's
16: Cricket - England v West Indies, Twenty20 international
19, 21, 24, 27, 29: Cricket - England v West Indies, ODIs
23-30: Multi-sports - Invictus Games, Toronto
24: American Football - NFL in London, Wembley Stadium
October
1 & 22: American Football - NFL in London, Wembley and Twickenham Stadiums
5: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Northern Ireland v Germany (Group C); England v Slovenia, Scotland v Slovakia (Group F)
6: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Georgia v Wales, Republic of Ireland v Moldova (Group D)
7: Rugby league - Super League Grand Final, Old Trafford
8: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifiers: Norway v Northern Ireland (Group C); Lithuania v England, Slovenia v Scotland (Group F)
9: Football - 2018 World Cup qualifier: Wales v Republic of Ireland (Group D)
27 Oct-2 Dec: Rugby league - World Cup, Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea
27-30: Motorsport - Wales Rally GB
29: American Football - NFL in London, Twickenham
November
12-19: Tennis - ATP World Tour Finals, London
16 Nov-2 Dec: Rugby league - Women's World Cup, Australia
23-27: Cricket - Australia v England, first Ashes Test, Brisbane
24-26: Tennis - Davis Cup final
26: Formula 1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (final race of 2017)
December
2-6: Cricket - Australia v England, second Ashes Test, Adelaide (d/n)
14-18: Cricket - Australia v England, third Ashes Test, Perth
26-30: Cricket - Australia v England, fourth Ashes Test, Melbourne