The ECB has confirmed the dates for the 2009 Ashes tour, with Australia's defence starting at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on July 8.

Australia begin the tour with a four-day game against Sussex at Hove on June 24 before facing England Lions at Worcestershire's New Road ground on July 1. The first Test match begins a week later, with the subsequent Tests starting on July 16 at Lord's and July 30 at Edgbaston.

Sandwiched between the second and third Tests is a three-day game provisionally scheduled against Northamptonshire, for July 24. The fourth Test begins on August 7 at Headingley, and the final match of the five-Test series starts on August 20 at The Oval.

Australia's one-day programme will start with an international against Scotland in Edinburgh on August 28. The schedule also includes two Twenty20 matches against England at Old Trafford on August 30. Prior to that, Australia will defend their ICC World Twenty20 title, with the tournament taking place in England in June.

David Collier, the chief executive of the ECB, said: "The summer of 2009 promises to be one of the most exciting in the history of cricket in England and Wales. The npower Ashes Series and the NatWest Series along with the NatWest International Twenty20 matches have the potential for providing the sort of wonderful cricket which can fire the nation's imagination.

"And of course all this follows the ICC World Twenty20, which guarantees that all the best Twenty20 players in the world will be in this country in June 2009."

Fixtures for the Australian tour to England 2009

June
24 - 27: Four-day game v Sussex (Hove)

July
1 - 4: Four-day game v England Lions (Worcester)
8 - 12: 1st npower Test (Cardiff)
16 - 20: 2nd npower Test (Lord's)
24 - 26: Three-day game v Northants (Northampton)
30 - 3: 3rd npower Test (Edgbaston)

August
7 - 11: 4th npower Test (Headingley)
15 - 16: Two-day game v Kent (Canterbury)
20 - 24: 5th npower Test (Oval)
28: ODI v Scotland (Edinburgh)
30: 1st NatWest International Twenty20 (Old Trafford)

September
1: 2nd NatWest International Twenty20 (Old Trafford, floodlit)
4: 1st NatWest Series day/night (Brit Oval)
6: 2nd NatWest Series (Lord's)
9: 3rd NatWest Series day/night (Rose Bowl)
12: 4th NatWest Series (Lord's)
15: 5th NatWest Series day/night (Trent Bridge)
17: 6th NatWest Series day/night (Trent Bridge)
20: 7th NatWest Series (Durham)
21: Australia depart

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