Ashes tickets on sale in June

Ashes tickets for next summer's five-Test series will go on sale to the Australian "Cricket Family" on June 1, but fans not registered with the country's board will have to wait more than two weeks to secure seats. The plan announced today encourages local fans to get in ahead of England threats such as the Barmy Army by expressing interest on Cricket Australia's website.

With estimates of 40,000 overseas supporters arriving for the series starting in November, local cricket authorities and the players are concerned England followers could dominate the Test venues. The WACA has already capped its membership after receiving numerous requests from supporters based in the United Kingdom. A board spokesman said tickets would be available to the general public and overseas customers from June 19.

"In establishing this offer we will be aiming to reward Australian fans who register as members of the Cricket Family while also ensuring as many Australians as possible have access to next summer's matches," James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, said. "If you're an Australian and want to support the team in the forthcoming Test Series, register online now and give yourself the best chance of being there."

Sutherland said hotel bookings in Melbourne for the December 26 Test were "already significant" and he expected the previous MCG Test match crowd attendance record of 90,800 to be broken. "We've announced the tour program six months ahead of what we normally would and that's just [because of] the sheer demand and public interest that's out there right now," he said.

Pricing details will be released when the tickets go on sale. The first Test starts in Brisbane on November 23.