Details of the venues and dates for the 2009 Ashes test series between England and Australia have been announced.
The itinerary for the 2009 Ashes Test Series between England and Australia has been announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia.
David Collier, Chief Executive of the ECB said “Already there is great expectation surrounding the npower Ashes Test series which will follow the twenty20 World Championship in an exciting summer of cricket.
We have been in full consultation with the England management about the structure of the series and our summer programme in 2009 and this was ECB’s preferred programme. I think everyone is now looking forward to the summer with relish.”
Cardiff Host Series Opener
The five test series will begin on July 8th at Sofia Gardens in Cardiff, a major coup for the new stadium, with the second test at Lords as is traditional. Further matches at Edgbaston, Headingley and the Oval will complete the series.
The 2005 series in England has been regarded as one of the greatest battles in cricket history. England regained the Ashes for the first time in eighteen years with a 2-1 series win. The interest generated by this memorable encounter brought interest in cricket to a new high in the UK.
Australia gained fulsome revenge when England went down under with a resounding 5-0 victory.
Australia Missing Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist
Three all time Australian greats will be missing from the series.
Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist have all retired from international cricket so the Australian line up will have a fresh, if less iconic, look to it.
England are also in transition. The much vaunted four man pace attack of 2005, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff, will probably never be seen together in an England side again.
If Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad continue to impress as an opening attack and Flintoff’s long standing injury problems cannot be resolved, it is conceivable that none of the four pronged pace attack will be in the England side that takes the field in Cardiff on July 8th 2009.
Ashes 2009 Test Series
1st Test: Wednesday 8 July – Sunday 12 July (Cardiff)
2nd Test: Thursday 16 July – Monday 20 July (Lords)
3rd Test: Thursday 30 July – Monday 3 August (Edgbaston)
4th Test: Friday 7 August – Tuesday 11 August (Headingley)
5th Test: Thursday 20 August – Monday 24 August (The Oval)
There will also be a one-day series between the sides and details of the dates are expected to be announced at the end of April.
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