Cardiff to stage 2015 Ashes opener

LONDON: England will be hoping history repeats itself when their bid to regain the Ashes next year starts in Cardiff. Monday saw the England and Wales Cricket Board announce the international schedule for its 2015 home season. And it was the choice of the Welsh capital ground to stage the first Test against Australia, starting on July 8, that was arguably the most eye-catching decision.

England were whitewashed 5-0 by their oldest foes in Australia during the 2013/14 Ashes, a reverse which led Andy Flower to stand down as team coach and be replaced by Peter Moores.

It was at Cardiff where England and Australia played out a thrilling draw in the 2009 Ashes opener as the hosts last-wicket pair of James Anderson and Monty Panesar held out to deny the tourists victory.

That result sent England on their way to a 2-1 series win after a 5-0 drubbing ´Down Under´ in 2006/07 and the first of three consecutive Ashes campaign triumphs.

The remainder of the 2015 Ashes will see Tests played at Lord´s, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and The Oval.

Last year, England triumphed 3-0 on home soil before shortly afterwards surrendering the Ashes in tame fashion in the return series.

Australia will begin the one-day leg of their tour against Ireland on August 27, with England also due to face the Irish -- one of the world´s leading non-Test nations -- on a date still to be confirmed.

Although opportunities to find space in the Future Tours Programme are rare against the world´s leading teams, it is apparent that Cricket Australia and the ECB are committed to ensuring that the top Associates, like Scotland and Ireland, have a chance to test themselves against the best and to help us to improve.

Next summer promises to be a hugely exciting international season with England´s bid to regain the Ashes set to be one of the major highlights of the sporting year," said ECB chief executive David Collier.

New Zealand and Australia in UK and Ireland in 2015:
New Zealand
May 08-11: v Somerset, Taunton, May 14-17: v Worcestershire, New Road, May 21-25: 1st Test, Lord´s, May 29-Jun 02: 2nd Test, Headingley, Jun 06: v Leicestershire, Grace Road, Jun 09: 1st ODI, Edgbaston (D/N), Jun 12: 2nd ODI, The Oval (D/N), Jun 14: 3rd ODI, Southampton, Jun 17: 4th ODI, Trent Bridge (D/N), Jun 20: 5th ODI, Chester-le-Street,Jun23:T20,OldTrafford(D/N)
Australia:
Jun 25-28: v Kent, Canterbury, Jul 01-04: v Essex, Chelmsford, Jul 08-12: 1st Test, Cardiff, Jul 16-20: 2nd Test, Lord´s, Jul 23-25: v Derbyshire, Derby, Jul 29-Aug 02: 3rd Test, Edgbaston, Aug 06-10: 4th Test, Trent Bridge, Aug 14-16: v Northamptonshire, Northampton, Aug 20-24: 5th Test, The Oval, Aug 27: ODI v IRELAND, venue tbc, Aug 31: T20 v ENGLAND, Cardiff, Sep 03: Ist ODI, Southampton (D/N), Sep 05: 2nd ODI, Lord´s, Sep 08: 3rd ODI, Old Trafford (D/N), Sep 11: 4th ODI, Headingley, Sep 13: 5th ODI, Old Trafford.
(AFP)