Cardiff begin ticket rush for first Ashes Test

Six thousand Ashes tickets will be on sale this Monday, November 3, for the first Test between England and Australia starting on July 8 in Cardiff.

Edgbaston, which will host the third Test, was the first ground to offer Ashes tickets for next summer's hotly anticipated series, with the second and third days selling out in just a few hours.

"As expected, the biggest box-office event in cricket, the first Ashes Test match is a big hit," Glamorgan's chairman Paul Russell said. "We want to give all our supporters the best possible chance of getting their hands on tickets. As a result, we are releasing over 6000 tickets for general sale in November and a further 6000 tickets in January.

"This will give as many fans as possible the chance to watch the biggest cricket match ever to be played here in Wales."

The ECB's decision to hand Cardiff an Ashes Test - the first at the newly-developed ground - courted controversy because of the ground's low capacity (16,000). The club are extending it with additional seating, though only by a few thousand.