AUSTRALIA will visit the Ford County Ground to face Essex in a day-night game next season.

The tourists will be in Chelmsford on Tuesday, June 26 in the stand-out match in the Essex fixtures for 2012 which are released today.

Essex will open their LV= County Championship Division Two campaign against Gloucestershire at Chelmsford, starting on Thursday, April 5.

Other highlights include the Chelmsford Cricket Week at the Ford County Ground from Wednesday, August 1 to Sunday, August 5, when Essex will host Leicestershire in both the county championship and the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition, and the Colchester Cricket Festival from Wednesday, August 15 to Sunday, August 19. Glamorgan will provide the opposition for a four-day fixture followed by a visit from the Netherlands in the CB40 competition.

Full 2012 fixture list

March

Sat 31-Mon 2 (Uni) v Cambridge MCCU (at Fenner’s).

April

Thu 5-Sun 8 (LV=CC) v Glouc (Chelms).

Thu 19-Sun 22 (LV=CC) v Yorks (Head).

Thu 26-Sun 29 (LV=CC) v Northants (Chelms).

May

Wed 2-Sat 5 (LV=CC) v Glamorgan (SWALEC).

Mon 7 (CB40) v Leics Foxes (Grace Rd).

Wed 9-Sat 12 (LV=CC) v Kent (Chelms)

Sun 13 (CB40) v Worcs Roayls (Chelms).

Wed16-Sat 19 (LV=CC) Leicestershire (Grace Rd).

Sun 20 (CB40) v Lancs Lightning (Old Trafford).

Wed 23-Sat 26 (LV=CC) v Derbyshire (Chelmsford).

Tue 29 (CB40) v Netherlands (TBC).

June

Mon 4 (CB40) v Gloucs Gladiators (Chelms).

Wed 6-Sat 9 (LV=CC) Northants (Northants).

Fri 15 (FL t20) v Surrey Lions (Kia Oval).

Tue 19 (FL t20) v Kent Spitfires (Chelms).

Thu 21 (FL t20) v Middlesex Panthers (Lords).

Fri 22 (FL t20) v Surrey Lions (Chelms).

Sun 24 (FL t20) v Sussex Sharks (Hove).

Tue 26 (TOM D-N) v Australia (Chelms).

Thu 28 (WIT20) England Women v India Women (Chelms).

Thu 28 (FL t20) v Sussex Sharks (Chelmsford).

Fri 29 (FL t20) v Hampshire Royals (Chelms).

July

Thu 5 (FL t20) v Middlesex Panthers (Chelms).

Fri 6 (FL t20) v Kent Spitfires (Canterbury).

Sun 8 (FL t20) v Hampshire Royals (Rose Bowl).

Wed 11-Sat 14 (LV=CC) v Glouc (Chelt).

Sun 15 (CB40) Glouc Gladiators (Chelt).

Wed 18 (CB40) v Middlesex Panthers (Chelms).

Thu 19-Sun 22 (LV=CC) v Hampshire (Chelms).

Tue 24/Wed 25 (FL t20P) Quarter-Final (TBC).

Sun 29 (CB 40) v Worcs Royals (New Road).

August

Wed1-Sat 4 (LV=CC) v Leics (Chelms).

Sun 5 (CB40) v Leics Foxes (Chelms).

Wed 8-Sat 11 (LV=CC) v Kent (Canterbury).

Wed 15-Sat 18 (LV=CC) v Glamorgan (Colch).

Sun 19 (CB40) v Netherlands (Colch).

Thu 23 (CB40) v Lanc Lightning (Chelms).

Sat 25 (FL t20P) Finals Day (SWALEC)

Mon 27 (CB40) v Middlesex Panthers (Lords).

Tue 28-Fri 31 (LV=CC) v Derbyshire (Derby).

September

Sat 1 (CB40P) Semi Final (TBC).

Tue 4-Fri 7 (LV=CC) v Hampshire (Rose Bowl).

Tue 11-Fri 14 (LV=CC) v Yorkshire (Chelms).

Sat 15 (CB40P) Final (Lords).

UNI - University Centre of Cricketing Excellence v Frist Class Counties.

LV=CC - LV=County Championship, Division Two.

CB40 - Clydesdale Bank 40, Group A.

FL t20 - Friends Life t20, South Division.

Tom D-N - Tourist Match, 50-over Day-Night.

Wit20 - NatWest Women’s International Twenty20