Sold out signs go up at Edgbaston as Ashes fever grips cricket fans

ONE of Birmingham’s top 15 visitor attractions for 2015 is proving a major hit with sports fans six months ahead of the teams taking the field.

The first allocation of tickets for days two, three and four of the Investec Ashes Test Match at Edgbaston have sold out, ground authorities have said.

Warwickshire County Cricket Club said with tickets now only available for days one and five of the game, the Test Match was becoming the most sought-after in Birmingham since 2009 – the last time Edgbaston staged an Ashes game.

The match, which starts on July 29, is expected to generate £26.4m for the local economy according to a recent study from Marketing Birmingham.

The inward investment body is running a tourism campaign promoting the top 15 events in Birmingham this year likely to attract visitors to the city. Besides the Rugby World Cup games at Villa Park, the Test Match is the only other sporting event to feature in the programme.

Gareth Roberts, Commercial Director of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “The Ashes is the biggest Test Match series in the world, and it’s fantastic for Edgbaston to host one of the five all-important matches, not only next summer but again in the following series in 2019.
 
“At present, tickets are only available for days one and five, and we would encourage fans that are planning to attend to book in the coming days to avoid disappointment. Any tickets that are returned by our sponsors for the sold out days will be released in March.”
 
England have a fantastic record at Edgbaston and have lost just one of their last 10 Test Matches in Birmingham, with the record including the famous game in the 2005 Ashes Series which England won by just two runs.
 
Further information is available by visiting www.edgbaston.com/tickets or the Ticket Hotline on 0844 847 1902.