England's defence of the Ashes will begin in Brisbane next November after the schedule for the 2010 series in Australia was released.

Just over a month after Andrew Strauss's side reclaimed the urn at The Brit Oval, the route towards their defence has been mapped out.

The five-Test series will begin at The Gabba, in Brisbane, on 25 November and will follow the same circuit around the country that England embarked upon three years ago when they suffered a 5-0 series whitewash.

The Second and Third Tests will follow in Adelaide and Perth, with Melbourne and Sydney to host their traditional Boxing Day and New Year's Tests respectively.

The ECB and Cricket Australia have also agreed for England to play three first-class warm-up matches before the opening Test, with another match between the Adelaide and Perth Tests. Details for the one-day series will be announced at a later date.

Meanwhile, 2005 Ashes hero Simon Jones has signed a three-year contract with Hampshire.

Ashes Fixtures 2010/2011: First Test - Brisbane 25-29 Nov, Second Test - Adelaide 3-7 Dec, Third Test - Perth 16-20 Dec, Fourth Test - Melbourne 26-30 Dec, Fifth Test - Sydney 3-7 Jan