The Ashes 2013: England vs. Australia First Test Date, Start Time and Preview

So they meet again.

England and Australia will face off on Wednesday morning for the First Test of the 2013 Ashes. While Australia has been the more successful country historically, it’s been England that’s come out on top in each of the last two series. Will Australia be able to stop the winning streak, or will England win its third straight?

The series is one of the most exciting spectacles in the sport, and many have been waiting for Wednesday to come for quite some time. Here’s what England’s Graeme Swann said about facing Australia at the Ashes, according to Andrew McGlashan of ESPN:

"

I’ve been thinking about it for 18 months, to be honest, but now it’s in the forefront there’s nothing else to focus on, which is a great place to be. When I’m at home at night all I think about is Ashes cricket…

Well, sometimes there’s other things. Without a doubt the biggest games we play are Ashes ones. It’s very easy to get very hyped up. I’ve never made any apologies for that.

"

Swann is expected to bowl for England in the First Test, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Australia in the opener. This is a matchup that you cannot afford to miss.

Here is everything you need to know about the First Test of the Ashes, with information as to when the test begins, where it’s being played, which player to keep an eye on throughout the test and a prediction as to whether it will be England or Australia coming out on top to start the series.

When: Wednesday, July 10 to Sunday, July 14

Where: Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England

TV Info: Sky Sports

Start Time: 11 a.m. BST (6 a.m. ET)

England Squad	Australia Squad
Alastair Cook (captain)	Michael Clarke (captain)
James Anderson	Brad Haddin (vice-captain)
Jonny Bairstow	Ashton Agar
Ian Bell	Jackson Bird
Tim Bresnan	Ed Cowan
Stuart Broad	James Faulkner
Steven Finn	Ryan Harris
Graham Onions	Phillip Hughes
Kevin Pietersen	Usman Khawaja
Matt Prior	Nathan Lyon
Joe Root	James Pattinson
Graeme Swann	Chris Rogers
Jonathan Trott	Peter Siddle
	Steven Smith
	Mitchell Starc
	Matthew Wade
	David Warner
	Shane Watson
*England and Australia squads courtesy of ESPN.

Player to Watch: Alastair Cook, England

The captain of England will be looking to get the bad taste out of his mouth after a disappointing outcome at the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. 

Cook said after the loss to India that it was his lowest moment as England’s captain, according to ICC-Cricket. He also talked about resting a bit after the ICC Champions Trophy in order to recharge for the Ashes in order to “hit the ground running at Trent Bridge.” 

First Test Prediction

England’s batsmen vs. Australia’s bowlers.

That’s what the First Test is going to come down to. England has several lethal batsmen but Australia’s bowlers are no joke. 

Can the Australia bowlers quiet the England batsmen enough where the losers of the last two series can potentially win the First Test? That doesn’t seem very likely, as the England batting lineup is much too strong for nearly any other team in the world. 

Prediction: England over Australia