LONDON: England’s bid to regain the Ashes next year will begin with first Test against Australia at Edgbaston, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Thursday.
The Ashes will follow the completion of the 2019 World Cup wh9cfh runs from May 30 to July 15.
Edgbaston, where England are unbeaten since 2009, will get the five-Test series underway from Aug 1-5, with matches following at Lord’s, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval.
England to host Pakistan in five ODIs prior to World Cup
There is, as expected, no Ashes Test allocated to arguably Australia’s least favourite venue in England — Trent Bridge in Nottingham, where they succumbed to 60 all out on the first morning of the 2015 Ashes, and where they have lost each of their last three Tests dating back to 2005.
Australia recorded a comprehensive 4-0 rout over England at home earlier this year but they have not won an away Ashes series since Steve Waugh’s side triumphed 4-1 in 2001.
The Ashes will kick off the inaugural World Test Championship, which will see nine top-ranked Test nations competing in a league over a two-year cycle.
England are also scheduled to meet Ireland at Lord’s in a four-day Test from July 24 to 27, their first Test of fewer than five days since the tour of New Zealand in 1971.
Ireland made their Test debut against Pakistan at Malahide in May but it will be the first ever meeting between the two local rivals in the game’s longest format.
“We expect next summer’s inaugural Test Match at Lord’s against our neighbours to be an historic celebration for all Irish cricket fans,” ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said in a statement. “It will also provide excellent Ashes preparation for England against an Irish team whose impressive performance against Pakistan earlier this year showed they can compete strongly in this form of the game.”
Pakistan will be England’s first opponents of the home international season next year, with their tour featuring five One-day Internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty20 International, as both countries prepare for the 50-overs World Cup.
“Next summer’s schedule — with an ICC Cricket World Cup and an Ashes Series at its heart — is truly a season to savour for cricket fans of all ages, nationalities and cultures,” said Harrison. “It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us to build an even bigger following for all formats of the game.
“There is nothing more important to England cricket fans than an Ashes series. With the added element of being England’s first Test series in the new World Test Championship, it’s a hugely exciting prospect and we anticipate unprecedented demand for tickets.
“We would love to see fans from all over the world getting to experience the unique atmosphere of an Ashes Test match after the ICC Cricket World Cup.”
England’s 2019 home schedule:
May 5: Only T20 International vs Pakistan (Cardiff, D/N).
May 8: First ODI vs Pakistan (The Oval, D/N).
May 11: Second ODI vs Pakistan (Southampton).
May 14: Third ODI vs Pakistan (Bristol, D/N).
May 17: Fourth ODI vs Pakistan (Trent Bridge, D/N).
May 19: Fifth ODI vs Pakistan (Headingley).
July 24-27: Only Test vs Ireland (Lord’s).
Aug 1-5: First Test vs Australia (Edgbaston).
Aug 14-18: Second Test vs Australia (Lord’s).
Aug 22-26: Third Test vs Australia (Headingley).
Sept 4-8: Fourth Test vs Australia (Old Trafford).
Sept 12-16: Fifth Test vs Australia (The Oval).
Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2018
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