Cardiff Prepared For The Harsh Spotlight Of The First Ashes Test

The Ashes starts in Cardiff on Wednesday, as it did six years ago when the Swalec Stadium, which used to be known as Sophia Gardens, staged its first Test match. If the England and Wales Cricket Board was then excoriated for staging such a significant match at an outpost, a decision made purely for financial reasons rather than any missionary zeal to spread the game, this time there has been little demur and Glamorgan will bid for a game in the 2022 series. (Root Dismisses 'Ridiculous' David Warner Excuse)

Shane Warne called the ECB disgraceful for taking the first Test to Cardiff in 2009 and fears that the Welsh would not find it in them to support a team named England proved unfounded. While the match ended in a draw, the nature of the finish, an unlikely last-wicket stand between James Anderson and Monty Panesar preventing defeat, galvanised England, who went on to win the series. (Mitch Mania in the Ashes)

The Test did more damage to Glamorgan than the ECB. The county spent £13m developing what had been a ramshackle ground showing its age of 40 years into one worthy of staging a Test and, to start recouping an outlay that had largely been made up of loans, outbid all the other grounds for an Ashes Test. Guaranteeing more than £2m in a tendering process, three years later the county were stripped of a Test against West Indies because they were late paying the ECB for the match against Sri Lanka in Cardiff the previous year. (Flintoff Predicts England Ashes Victory)

Glamorgan were in danger of going bankrupt this year before the county's chief executive and former opening batsman, Hugh Morris - who, in 2009, was the managing director of the England team - renegotiated loans with a number of creditors, starting with Cardiff council, and reduced the club's debt, which has been £16m, by more than 50%. A team who have spent most of the decade vying with Leicestershire for the title of worst county, are now third in the Second Division and bidding for a place in the knockout stage of the T20.

"We are the Wales in the England and Wales Cricket Board," said the Glamorgan chairman, Barry O'Brien. "We put on a fantastic show in 2009 and we constantly stress that we have an international stadium. We are not going to get an Ashes match every series but if we get one every other time that would keep us happy. We are not on the list for 2019 and we are looking at 2022."

Morris, Glamorgan's captain during their resurrection in the 1990s, returned to Wales two years ago, gradually repairing the county on and off the square. Whereas staging the Ashes in 2009 was an economic necessity, it is now merely important and one reason the council was willing to write off so much of Glamorgan's debt was the £24m the first Test is expected to generate for the capital city; the first four days have long been sold out. "An Ashes Test allows us to invest in cricket and it is important for the reputation of Cardiff and Wales," said Morris. The spotlight will be on us.

"When I came back to Glamorgan, I said I wanted to make Wales proud and having Australia here is a fantastic opportunity for us to do that.

"There will be 75,000 people coming through the gates and we want the media, players and supporters to see our home ground as an established and welcoming international cricket venue.

"It was a remarkable effort in 2009 to host such a major event because very little international cricket had been played at the ground. There were some eyebrows raised about Glamorgan being given the first game of that series but the doubters were silenced very quickly by the warm welcome that was given to players, coaches, management and supporters, by the outstanding atmosphere and a superb game of cricket.

"We have gained experience since then, having held a number of international fixtures, and the city of Cardiff is used to holding big events, which is a significant advantage. I've no doubt that we can put on a similar show and people shouldn't forget that England have never lost a match here."