Trent Bridge to host 2027 Ashes opener for England

England will begin its quest to reclaim the Ashes from Australia at Trent Bridge on June 18, 2027, as part of a landmark summer of cricket featuring both the men's and women's series running concurrently. The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the full schedule on July 23, 2026, with the men's five-Test series concluding at The Oval on July 29 and the women's multi-format Ashes running from June 24 to July 20.

The men's series will see Tests at Trent Bridge (June 18-22), Lord's (June 30-July 4), Edgbaston (July 8-12), the Utilita Bowl in Southampton (July 21-25), and The Oval (July 29-August 2). The fixture at the Utilita Bowl marks the first time the Southampton venue will host an Ashes Test, becoming just the 10th ground in the United Kingdom to do so. The schedule notably excludes matches in the north of England, with neither Emirates Old Trafford nor Headingley selected to host men's Tests, a decision that drew criticism from local officials when the venues were originally allocated in 2023.

England enters the series seeking to avenge a 4-1 defeat in Australia earlier in 2026 and will do so without recently retired captain Ben Stokes and former head coach Brendon...