Ashes tickets sell at record rate

Tickets for the Ashes series were snapped up at a record rate when they went on sale on Tuesday with the allocations for the first three days of the Brisbane and Sydney tests as well as day one of the Melbourne test all exhausted.

Cricket Australia said a total of 311,066 tickets were purchased on Tuesday for international matches in the home 2025-26 season, when the hosts will defend the urn against England in a five-test series.

The previous record for a single day's sale was 111,741 tickets ahead of the 2017-18 Ashes series, CA said.

"The record demand for tickets shows the excitement fans are feeling about the fantastic international season to come," said Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg.

Australia won both the 2017-18 series and the following home series in 2021–22 4-0 before drawing 2-2 in England in 2023 to retain the urn.

England last triumphed in Australia in 2010-11, which is also the last time the tourists won a test Down Under.

This year's series begins in Perth in late November before a day-night match in Brisbane, the third test in Adelaide and the traditional Melbourne and Sydney tests in December and January.

More tranches of tickets will be made available for those fans who signed up for pre-allocation at a later date, while the general public will be able to make purchases from Jun 13.

Australia also host both South Africa and India in Twenty20 and one-day series before the Ashes, while the women's team will play India in all three formats in February and March.