England and South Africa are to play four Test matches in 32 days when the sides meet in 13 months’ time. Beginning at Kingsmead in Durban on Boxing Day, the itinerary takes in Newlands in Cape Town starting on 2 January and after a week’s break, back-to-back matches at the Wanderers in Johannesburg and at Centurion.

Following on will be a five-match ODI series and three T20s to round things off. The tour ends in Johannesburg on 22 February. England will play two three-day warm-up matches, in Potchefstroom and Pietermaritzburg, against a South Africa Invitational XI before Christmas.

Those who last the course will have completed a shade over 10 weeks in South Africa. The tour will round off one of the busiest years for an England team who have just arrived in Sri Lanka for a series of ODIs.

A tri-series in Australia in the new year will be followed by the World Cup and a three-Test tour of West Indies.

Next summer there is a Test series and ODIs against New Zealand and another round of the Ashes, and in the autumn a three-match series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, with the inevitable short-form accompaniment. England will play 17 Tests from mid-April to the end of January.

As Paul Downton, the managing director of the ECB, pointed out when he announced the tour, the Proteas are setting the benchmark in Test matches and limited overs. “It is a challenge the England team will relish,” he said.

The England pace attack might have an alternative viewpoint come the end of next year, and the South Africa series is unlikely to be played on slow, turning pitches.

England tour of South Africa

15-17 Dec 2015 v SA Invitation XI (Senwes Park, Potchefstroom) 20-22 Dec v SA Invitation XI (Pietermaritzburg Oval) 26-30 Dec First Test (Kingsmead, Durban) 2-6 Jan Second Test (Newlands, Cape Town) 14-18 Jan Third Test (Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg) 22-26 Jan Fourth Test (SuperSport Park, Centurion) 30 Jan One-day match, (Diamond Oval, Kimberley) 3 Feb First ODI (Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein) 6 Feb Second ODI (St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth) 9 Feb Third ODI (SuperSport Park, Centurion) 12 Feb Fourth ODI (Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg) 14 Feb Fifth ODI (Newlands, Cape Town) 17 Feb T20 v SA Invitation XI (Boland Park, Paarl) 19 Feb First T20 International (Newlands, Cape Town) 21 Feb Second T20 International (Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg).