Ashes 2023 Venues: Unveiling England’s 5 Battlegrounds for the Series

Thursday 6 July 2023 by Jonathan Victoria  Features

Action at the legendary Lord's Cricket Ground. (Photo: dagbo shoots/ Flickr).

The Ashes is one of cricket’s biggest competitions, with England and Australia challenging each other ever since the late 1800s.

After Australia’s emphatic win in the last edition held in 2021-22, England will be looking for revenge as the competition comes home this summer.

With the series fast approaching, take a look at the five Ashes 2023 venues that will be hosting each Test, including the dates, most memorable moments, and how you can watch it all live on TV. 

Ashes 2023 Schedule

The 2023 Ashes will begin with the first day of the first Test on Friday 16th June. The series will then run for a little over a month until the final day of the final Test, which will be on Monday 31st July (if it goes all the way to the fifth day).

For the biggest fans who may have noticed, this is the first home Ashes series in 139 years to not be played in August. This decision was made to allow the England stars to compete in The Hundred this season as well.

All Tests will have a start time of 11am BST, and each day is scheduled to conclude at 6pm, although time can be made up to run until 6.30pm.

Ashes 2023 Venues

Now that you know the schedule, it's time to find out the five Ashes 2023 venues for the series.

Each Test will consist of five days, providing fans with a brilliant amount of action at the ground they have attended.

First Test – Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham

16th - 20th June

Edgbaston will host the first Test of the series, with the England players delighted to return to their home fortress.

The venue was established in 1882; however, the first Test wasn’t played there until 1902 - coincidentally, that first Test was during the 1902 Ashes.

Despite being beaten there in the 2019 Ashes, Edgbaston is the favourite ground for a lot of the players, and they hold a positive win record in the Ashes here, winning six games, losing four and drawing five.

Edgbaston was the venue of one of the Ashes' most iconic images, with Freddie Flintoff consoling a despondent Brett Lee after England narrowly escaped with the victory in the second Test of the 2005 series, which they went on to win for their first Ashes win since 1987.

Second Test – Lord’s, London

28th June - 2nd July

Widely regarded as the ‘Home of Cricket’, Lord’s Cricket Ground is found in St John’s Wood in the capital city of London.

Lord’s is the largest cricket ground in the UK, with redevelopments in 2017 and 2022 taking the total capacity to 31,100.

It may be the ‘Home of Cricket’, but the England team have a fairly poor record at the ground. With 37 Tests played, England have won just seven, losing 15 and drawing the other 15.

However, one of those wins was in the iconic 2009 series, when the retiring Freddie Flintoff produced his first Lord’s five-wicket haul on the way to England’s first victory over Australia at the ground in 75 years.

Third Test – Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds

6th - 10th July

Situated in Leeds, Headingley is a legendary ground stooped in cricket heritage and will be hosting the third Test of the series.

It's the crowds that make this ground so, with the Yorkshire faithful coming out to support the home side every time England comes to play.

Quite possibly the most iconic moment in Ashes history came at Headingley in 1981 during the Third test. With Australia up 1-0 in the series, the visitors looked certain to take victory in this Test after forcing England to follow on.

Despite being down a significant amount, Ian Botham stepped up and proceeded to stamp his name into the history books as he tallied 149 runs to force Australia to bat again, where Botham (along with Bob Willis) was then able to bowl out Australia for 111 to win the Test and level the series.

England would go on to win the 1981 Ashes 3-1, largely in due part to this incredibly unlikely yet spectacular comeback in the third Test.

Fourth Test – Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester

19th - 23rd July

Fans watching the action at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground.

The Old Trafford Cricket Ground is renowned for having a challenging pitch, with the turf notorious for its true bounce and pace which provides a tough time at the crease for batters and bowlers alike, but also makes for entertaining viewing for the fans.

Old Trafford hosted the first Ashes Test in England in 1884, with the Test finishing as a draw due to bad weather - although the hosts were able to go on and win the series.

The biggest moment at this venue came during the first Test of the 1993 Ashes and marked the emergence of the future all-time great, Shane Warne.

With the very first ball on the first Test of the series, Warne bowled out England’s Mike Gatting, who was at the time one of the best batsmen in the world. A legend’s welcome to the game that Warne would soon start to dominate in.

Fifth Test – The Oval, London

27th - 31st July

The first ground in England to host international Test cricket, The Oval holds a special place in the Ashes folklore as the venue where the name of the Test was born from.

After Australia beat England (the first time England had been beaten on home soil), their leading sports newspaper wrote a mocking obituary notice, one that England did not take lightly.

After the newspaper claimed that English cricket had died, with the body cremated and the ashes brought back to Australia, England took vengeance in their next tour of Australia, stating a quest to ‘recover the ashes’, thus bringing a name to the Test series.

The Oval traditionally plays host to the final Test match of the English season each year, which it will be doing this year as England will not be playing another Test match after the Ashes due to the ICC World Cup in India later this year.

How to Watch The Ashes 2023 Live on TV

2023 is a major year for cricket, especially for England and Australia. With the World Cup in India towards the end of the year, the stakes are high for the Ashes, as a win for either one will set them up well for the big competition in October/ November.

If you’re looking to watch any of this year's series but won’t be going to any of the Ashes 2023 venues, then Sky Sports is the place where you can see all the action.

With the exclusive rights to English domestic competition, Sky Sports will be showing all five Tests live on their Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event channels.

Sky’s expert commentators provide insightful analysis, bringing the game to life and helping you understand the strategic nuances behind every play. From the first ball to the final wicket, you'll be on the edge of your seat, captivated by the drama unfolding on the field.

With the summer of sports well and truly upon us, Sky Sports is the place to be to watch it all. Be sure to check out our best Sky Sports deals now and see the latest prices and packages available.