The Aussies Are Sent to Cardiff for Ashes Opener

In the last home Ashes series in 2005, England had two matches to remember at Trent Bridge and Old Trafford. At the Nottingham ground they outplayed Australia over most of the match—although they struggled slightly in the fourth innings—before eventually getting home for a fine win.

The same again at Old Trafford where it was England’s match except for a brilliant rearguard match saving innings by Ricky Ponting. An honourable draw in the end but England played well at a ground that is often kind to them.

So do the 2009 Aussie tourists need to worry about England at Trent Bridge and Old Trafford? Not at all for there won’t even be Test matches played at these two venues. It defies belief that grounds where England go well against the Old Enemy aren’t in the schedules at all this time around.

Instead, we have the absurd sight of the opening Test match not even being in England at all. On 8th July Ricky P and whoever is England captain that week face off against each other at Cardiff. I kid you not—it’s the Welsh capital which hosts the most eagerly awaited Test match in these isles for nearly four years.

So what’s the story?

Well, the last Chairman of the ECB (The England and Wales Cricket Board) was a Taff—David Morgan is a businessman from the valleys and a keen Glamorgan supporter.

Morgan worked hard behind the scenes (and sometimes in front of them) with a “Taffia” which included establishment figures like Tony Lewis (once a Welsh Captain of England) and cricket manager Hugh Morris (also a daffodil wearer).

Funding was found from official (Welsh) sources to upgrade the Cardiff ground—although it will still hold barely 15,000 spectators—a few thousand less that Cardiff City FC get for their home matches in second tier English soccer down the road at Ninian Park. 

Cardiff has never hosted a Test match before and for their first go to be an Ashes Test—when historic grounds like Trent Bridge and Old Trafford miss out—is extraordinary.

But then most things about the bizarre and sometimes borderline corrupt English/Welsh cricket administration is surprising much of the time.