First Ashes Test, Cardiff: England v Australia
Date: 8-12 July Scheduled start: 1100 BST
Coverage: Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave, Red Button and BBC Sport website, plus live text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles. Live on Sky Sports
Preview - Ashes wait almost over
England and Australia renew their famous sporting rivalry when the first Test of the five-match Ashes series begins in Cardiff on Wednesday.
Australia are defending champions after winning the 2006-07 series 5-0, but England won the last series on English soil in 2005 following eight defeats.
The Australians have also lost stars such as Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath to retirement since the last meeting.
And they are without injured pair Brett Lee and Shane Watson for Cardiff.
A capacity crowd of 16,000 will be at the ground for each of the first three days - and something approaching that number on the fourth - as Cardiff becomes the first new Ashes venue since 1902, and 100th Test venue in all.
Cash from the Welsh Assembly and the Welsh Tourist Board helped Cardiff secure hosting rights for the match, and Glamorgan chief executive Paul Russell has rebuilt the old Sophia Gardens facility up to a standard befitting international cricket.
Inside Cardiff's new Ashes ground
However, the selection of this ground to stage such a high-profile match has courted controversy, and the state of the pitch was criticised earlier this year - though there have been no recent complaints.
Lord's hosted the series opener in 2005, but this time will stage the second match, while Manchester's famous Old Trafford ground has been left off the schedule altogether.
England will hope their Cardiff experience works out more favourably than it did when they ventured into Sheffield's Bramall Lane, which never staged another Test after England lost there, by a hefty margin, 107 years ago.
The Ashes have been contested since 1882, with Australia having won 31 series and England 28, while there have been five draws in the 64 matches.
England, led by Andrew Strauss, have a squad that is fit and firing after crushing West Indies 2-0 in May and then being strengthened by the return from injury of key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.
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CRICKET BLOG
BBC sports editor Mihir Bose
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But Australia are still rated the number one team in the world compared to England's fifth, despite having lost some of their greatest names in Warne, McGrath, batsmen Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden, plus wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist. All five have retired.
Of their replacements, all-rounder Watson and paceman Lee have been ruled out through injury.
Lee is not likely to feature until at least the third Test after tearing a rib muscle in the draw against England's second-string Lions team at Worcester.
The only bowler in the squad to have played a Test in England, Lee troubled the Lions, taking 6-76 in the first innings with some brilliant reverse swing at high pace.
Australia's only specialist slow bowler, Nathan Hauritz, now comes under the spotlight - though if he does play he will be heartened by the news that the Cardiff wicket is expected to turn.
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In seven weeks there are going to be some epic moments
Andrew Strauss
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Brown in colour, and with an even covering of grass, it is unlikely to provide much pace or bounce - and has been prepared in a manner to assist the slow bowlers from the fourth day.
Flood prevention works around the adjoining River Taff, and a generally dry build-up, have forced much of the moisture to be sucked out of the wicket - and the occasional downpours which disrupted the practice sessions have not affected its preparation.
For England, that means Durham seamer Graham Onions is likely to be dropped as spinners Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar will both be firmly in the frame.
For Australia, Hauritz and seamer Ben Hilfenhaus are battling for the spot vacated by Lee, and although Hauritz has not performed brilliantly so far, neither did Hilfenhaus against Sussex at Hove, before being left out altogether for the Lions match.
Since the highs of 2005, England have been through a troubled period, struggling to win Test series with any consistency before coach Peter Moores and captain Kevin Pietersen were sacked after Christmas.
But things have not been particularly fruitful for Australia either. Ricky Ponting's men field just four survivors from the 2006-07 campaign, and endured a poor winter in which they lost in India and at home to South Africa (though they did then bounce back to win in South Africa in March.)
Strauss said Australia were "not quite as intimidating as they used to be", pointing to the absence of their retired superstars.
Strauss confident for first Ashes Test
He added: "We're going to be ready for some hard cricket and we're going to be ready to counteract that. The stadium looks ready to go, the wicket looks good and I hope the Welsh get behind us for five days.
"An Ashes series is different - the history, the tradition, the battles of the past. It's is special and it would be wrong not to treat it in a special way. In seven weeks there are going to be some epic moments."
The match could be an important one for Panesar, who has lost his place as England's primary spinner to Swann and struggled at county level this season.
But Strauss said: "There is something about being back in the England fold that switches on a light for Monty. I am very happy with where he is."
Ponting is desperate to avoid the fate of Allan Border, the last Australian captain to lose two Ashes series.
Aussies in high spirits for Ashes - Ponting
He gave a speech to his players in the dressing room at Cardiff on Tuesday, in which he charted his path from nephew of an Australian cricketer (Greg Campbell) to captain.
He said afterwards: "I remember going down to (Campbell's) house just after his kit arrived with his baggy green and his jumper and playing shirts in the bag. To go through that and touch the clothing and touch the baggy green cap was where for me the dream of playing Ashes cricket really all started."
Dry weather is expected to prevail for the first three days of the Test, with the possibility of more unsettled conditions at the weekend.
England (probable): Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior (wkt), Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.
Australia (probable): Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wkt), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Stuart Clark.
Relive classic TMS Ashes moments
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