Cricket: England go to Wales to launch Ashes bid

Jimmy Anderson and Monty Panesar held out to draw the 2009 Ashes Test at Cardiff. Picture: AFP

England surrendered the urn in humiliating fashion Down Under last winter as they succumbed to a 5-0 defeat which brought head coach Andy Flower’s spell at the helm to an end.

Peter Moores has since been appointed as his replacement and his first Ashes Test in charge will take place at the SWALEC Stadium beginning on 8 July.

Further Tests will follow at Lord’s (16 July), Edgbaston (29 July) and Trent Bridge (6 August) before the final Test of the summer at the Oval, beginning on 20 August.

The selection of Cardiff for the opener mirrors 2009 when James Anderson and Monty Panesar held on to secure a draw in the first Test as England went on to win the series 2-1 and regain the urn after a 5-0 drubbing in 2006-07, setting England on their way to the first of three Ashes successes in a row until last winter’s defeat.

Before the Ashes begin, England will face New Zealand with the first Test of the summer starting at Lord’s on 21 May and the second, commencing on 29 May, taking place at Headingley.

Australia’s first action of the summer will take place at Canterbury on 25 June as they face Kent in a four-day game and they will also take on Essex before the first Test.

Michael Clarke’s men will then face Derbyshire between the second and third Tests and Northamptonshire between the fourth and fifth before a one-day international against Ireland on 27 August.

Australia and England will than play a single Twenty20 game in Cardiff on 31 August before the five-match one-day series takes place with matches at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton (3 September), Lord’s (5 September), Old Trafford (8 September), Headingley (11 September) and Old Trafford once more (13 September).

New Zealand play ODIs against England at Edgbaston (9 June), the Oval (12 June), the Ageas Bowl (14 June), Trent Bridge (17 June) and Chester-le-Street (20 June), before concluding with a T20 international at Old Trafford on 23 June.

ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA 2015

ASHES TEST SERIES

First Test: SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff, 8-12 July.

Second Test: Lord’s, London, 16-20 July

Third Test: Edgbaston, Birmingham 29 July-2 August

Fourth Test: Trent Bridge, Nottingham (6-10 August)

Fifth Test: Kia Oval, London 20-24 August

ONE-DAY MATCHES

T20 Match: Cardiff, 31 August

First ODI: Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 3 September

Second ODI: Lord’s, 5 September

Third ODI: Old Trafford, Manchester, 8 September

Fourth ODI: Headingley, Leeds, 11 September

Fifth ODI: Old Trafford, 13 September