England will begin their 2013 defence of the Ashes with back-to-back Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord's in July, while Australia will play a first Test at Durham's Chester-le-Street ground in the fourth match of the series. The ECB has announced the schedules for Australia's tour next year, as well as the visit of New Zealand earlier in the summer and the itinerary for the ICC Champions Trophy.

The ECB has also confirmed that Lord's will host the first New Zealand Test in 2013, instead of Cardiff. Lord's had previously stepped in to host West Indies last month, after Glamorgan were late in making payments for the Cardiff Test between England and Sri Lanka in 2011.

The 2013 series between England and Australia will kick off a run of 15 Ashes Tests within a two-year period. The third match will see Test cricket return to Old Trafford for the first time since 2010, while the series will conclude at the traditional venue of the The Oval.

The next Ashes in Australia will take place immediately after in 2013-14 - meaning the two teams will effectively play ten Tests in a row - to avoid a clash with the 2015 World Cup, which will be held in Australia. England are then expected to host the Ashes again in 2015.

Australia will begin their preparations next summer with two four-day games, against Somerset and Worcestershire, and they will play Sussex in a three-day match at Hove between the second and third Tests. An ODI against Scotland in Edinburgh has also been scheduled ahead of the one-day series with England.

Several grounds that missed out on hosting Ashes Tests in 2013 have been awarded limited-overs fixtures. Hampshire's West End stadium will be the venue for a T20I and the fifth ODI, Edgbaston will host the third ODI and Cardiff the fourth. Cardiff, which had been due to host a 2013 Test between England and New Zealand, has instead been named as one of the semi-final venues for the Champions Trophy.

ITINERARY
June 26-29: Four-day game v Somerset, Taunton

July 2-5: Four-day game v Worcestershire, New Road

July 10-14: First Test, Trent Bridge

July 18-22: Second Test, Lord's

July 26-28: Three-day game v Sussex, Hove

August 1-5: Third Test, Old Trafford

August 9-13: Fourth Test, Chester-le-Street

August 16-17: Two-day game v Northamptonshire, Northampton

August 21-25: Fifth Test, The Oval

August 29: First T20 international (D/N), West End

August 31: Second T20 international, Chester-le-Street

September 3: ODI Scotland v Australia, Edinburgh

September 6: First ODI, Headingley

September 8: Second ODI, Old Trafford

September 11: Third ODI (D/N), Edgbaston

September 14: Fourth ODI, Cardiff

September 16: Fifth ODI (D/N), West End

* If Northamptonshire reach the Friends Life t20 final, England Lions will host Australia at Northampton in a two-day fixture on August 16-17.