Headingley and Old Trafford to host 2019 Ashes matches

The England and Wales Cricket Board has chosen Headingley and Old Trafford as hosts for the 2019 Ashes Test Series ahead of Trent Bridge and Cardiff.

Lord's, The Oval and Edgbaston will host the other three Ashes contests with Nottingham and the Welsh capital both missing out after being named as venues for the visit of Australia in 2015.

Cardiff misses out after being given the honour of hosting the opening Ashes Test in 2009 and 2015 while Trent Bridge misses out on an Ashes contest for the first time since 2009.

Headingley has also been handed a Test in 2017 when the West Indies are the tourists and they will also play matches at Edgbaston and Lord's with one-day internationals at Bristol, Old Trafford, The Oval, The Rose Bowl and Trent Bridge and a T20 international at Chester-le-Street.

Grounds are incentivised to sell out while providing the best possible spectator experience.

South Africa also visit in 2017 and they will play Tests at Lord's, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Old Trafford with ODIs at Chester-le-Street, Headingley and Lord's.

Taunton will then host international men's cricket for the first time since the 1999 World Cup with Cardiff and the Rose Bowl also hosting T20s.

Pakistan come calling in 2018 with Tests at Headingley and Lord's while India will also play five-day matches at Edgbaston, Lord's, The Oval, the Rose Bowl and Trent Bridge.

India will also face ODIs at Bristol, Headingley, Lord's, Old Trafford and Trent Bridge while England will play 50-over games against Australia at Cardiff, Chester-le-Street, Old Trafford, The Oval and Trent Bridge.

Australia will also be the visitors for a T20 at Edgbaston while India face England in the shortest format at Cardiff.

The 2019 Ashes summer will also see England face Pakistan in five ODIs at Bristol, Chester-le-Street, Headingley, The Oval and the Rose Bowl and a T20 at Cardiff.

The ECB's chairman Giles Clarke said: "The Board commissioned international consulting firm Deloitte to examine very carefully the financial condition of all our major match venues.

"A significant amount of work was carried out with the ECB executive and the first class counties to ensure that these awards are made on a new financial basis which involves the share of risk between the ECB and the grounds. It means that grounds are incentivised to sell out while providing the best possible spectator experience. 

"The Board and the ECB financial committee, having carefully examined the MMG’s recommendations, have made these awards with the confidence that at the end of this period our venues will be in a much strengthened financial position which will be of real benefit to the game in England and Wales as it will significantly allow substantial debt repayments.

"I am grateful to the MMG, ECB Acting CEO Brian Havill and my colleagues on the ECB financial committee – as well as the ECB finance department – for their vital work which is most important in ensuring the financial well-being of the game."