By Anna Thompson

There are just 329 days to go before England and Australia resume their battle for the Ashes.

ASHES ITINERARY 1st Test, Brisbane, 23 November - capacity 42,000 2nd Test, Adelaide, 1 December - 32,000 3rd Test, Perth, 14 December - 22,000 4th Test, Melbourne, 26 December - 96,308 5th Test, Sydney, 2 January, 43,649

But such is the anticipation that Cricket Australia has been forced to announce the itinerary six months earlier than normal for home series.

Chief executive James Sutherland expects an unprecedented demand for tickets and is confident the cricket contest will be the biggest sporting event in Australia since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Thousands of fans will be heading off on an antipodean adventure next November as England try to win on Australian soil for the first time since 1987.

Full ticketing details will be announced on 10 January.

And Sutherland warned: "Even though our stadiums have relatively large capacities, we would be encouraging people to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

"The level of interest in the entire programme is unbelievable but in particular the Test series is shaping as the biggest sporting event in Australia since the 2000 Olympics - that's the scale we're working on."

Paul Burnham, chief organiser of the Barmy Army, says it would not surprise him if the Ashes is a sell-out.

He told BBC Sport: "Australians had become so complacent about their team winning that they had stopped going to Test matches.

"The fact they have lost to England has definitely given them a fresh impetus and they will want to be there.

"There has been an amazing amount of interest already. I just hope all the England fans get the tickets they need."

Gullivers Sports Travel has been specialising in sports tours for more than 20 years.

During the last Ashes tour in Australia in 2002-03, the Gloucestershire firm took 700 clients to the Melbourne and Sydney Tests.

England will be defending their Ashes crown in Australia

But they have already had 1,400 advanced registrations for the Ashes.

Tour packages are expected to start from �3,000 for a three-week tour which includes the Boxing Day and New Year Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

Account manager Geraldine Norris told BBC Sport: "Since the dates were confirmed the telephone has been ringing red hot. There is huge interest in going to Australia at the end of next year."

England's official travelling support, the Barmy Army, is also expecting to take large numbers Down Under.

Up to 5,000 are expected on official tours with another 10,000 estimated to make the trip independently and there are backpackers and ex-pats as well.

Barmy Army operations manager Nicky Bowes said: "It is going to be massive. This is a big dream for a lot of people and after England's success this summer they definitely want to be in Australia next year.

"Fans are already booking time off and saving up their money so they can be a part of it," she added.