Ashes 2013-14: BBC wins radio commentary rights for series

The BBC has secured exclusive rights to broadcast live ball-by-ball radio commentary of the 2013-14 Ashes in Australia, which starts on 21 November.

Test Match Special commentary can be heard on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and BBC Radio 4 Long Wave, and via the BBC Sport website and BBC Sport app.

This is in addition to commentary of the New Zealand series, ICC Champions Trophy and the home Ashes this summer.

The BBC will also have commentary of the Women's Ashes in August.

That will include the Test, ODIs and Twenty20 internationals between England and Australia, all of which count towards the Women's Ashes.

It is a busy summer of sport for England's men's cricket team, with the home two-Test series against New Zealand starting on Thursday, followed by three one-day internationals.

The Champions Trophy starts next month, with England taking on Australia on 8 June, and the home Ashes series begins on 10 July, with legendary Aussie seamer Glenn McGrath joining the TMS team for the first time.

The latest rights announcement includes a raft of special preview programmes on BBC Radio 5 live this summer - including a series of Ashes Roadshows presented by Andrew Flintoff - ahead of the Ashes series in Australia which starts on 21 November.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, said: "We're very pleased to have added the Ashes in Australia to our existing cricket rights portfolio, and there's no one better to deliver it to audiences than the esteemed Test Match Special team.

"We're looking forward to a fantastic summer and winter of cricket which we will be covering through TMS, Radio 5 live and our digital platforms."

The latest addition to the BBC's cricket portfolio follows the recently announced ongoing ball-by-ball commentary of the entire county cricket season, with every county game available via BBC local radio, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and via the BBC cricket website.