TOWNSVILLE will host an Ashes tour match between England and a Cricket Australia XI at Tony Ireland Stadium from November 15-18.

The match will be England’s final warm-up before the Ashes Test series opener at the Gabba starting November 23, and will feature a full-strength English squad.

Queensland Cricket officials and Mayor Jenny Hill will today announce the historic four-day fixture with a press conference featuring Australian Test batsman Matt Renshaw.

November’s clash will be the first time Townsville has hosted an Ashes tour game, and the first time a senior English team has visited Townsville since 1962 when the MCC played Queensland Country.

England’s under-19 team also played matches at Tony Ireland Stadium during the under-19 ICC World Cup.

The Riverway venue is one of only three ICC accredited venues outside of a capital city in Australia, and has successfully hosted ODIs between PNG, Hong Kong and Ireland, ‘A’ series last winter, and a Sheffield Shield between the Bulls and Warriors last season.

Cricket Australia will release the remaining Ashes tour matches tomorrow.