Capacity crowd is confirmed (From Gazette Series)

Capacity crowd is confirmed

GLOUCESTERSHIRE CCC have announced that the England v Australia international one-day match that the club will be hosting next year has sold out completely in one of the quickest ticket-buying frenzies in the club's history.

The game, which is part of the 2005 NatWest Series of one-day internationals, does not take place until June 19, but already all of the tickets have been purchased by fans eager to witness one of international cricket's greatest grudge matches. Indeed, only Corporate Entertaining tickets are now available, with the County Ground stands completely full.

The match has already been billed as the most prestigious sporting event in the South West in 2005, and will be the second time that Gloucestershire have hosted an England v Australia clash.

Tickets went on general sale on Monday, November 1, with a complete sell-out confirmed by the weekend. A statement released by the club's ticket office said: "We were expecting tickets to sell fast, however, for us to announce a sell-out so early is excellent news."

Gloucestershire chief executive Tom Richardson added: "To sell-out so quickly is tremendous, and it goes to show how much this area wants and supports international cricket.

"We are endeavoring to claw back some of the ECB allocation of tickets to meet with the massive demands. Any announcement will be published on the club's website www.glosccc.co.uk."

International cricket has become a regular feature at the County Ground over the last few years, with the stadium regularly hosting NatWest Series games.

Earlier this year, a capacity crowd saw England take on New Zealand while, in 2003, another huge attendance gathered for an England v Zimbabwe clash.

However, the prospect of world champions and perennial arch rivals Australia is an altogether different spectacle for fans of the national side and, with the Ashes resuming next year as well, the rivalry between the two sides is sure to have reached boiling point by June.