Ashes-inspired breaks around the world

With the Ashes series being hotly contested all the way up to the start of 2007, cricket fever is set to grip the nation.

With this in mind, Teletext holidays has come up with its top ten places to go and be inspired by the great game.

This may mean missing a Test or two live, but re-runs will be almost guaranteed in these top cricketing locations.

Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica
The Blue Mountains loom over the north end of Sabina Park, Kingston's historic cricket ground, which is a great place to enjoy a Red Stripe and buy some tasty snacks.

The old wooden members' pavilion, on the west side of the pitch, square of the wicket, remains a staunch male bastion. The George Headly stand is to the south, and holds 8,000 and the total capacity of the ground is in the region of 15,000.

Eden Gardens, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India
Eden Gardens is one of the world's dream cricket grounds, with a capacity exceeding 100,000 and a home-from-home to some of the most dedicated fans in the world.

Indians are crazy about cricket and on any visit there you are almost guaranteed to find exuberant, yelling fans. Remember to keep an eye on the exuberance levels as riots are not unknown.

While in the area, you can also see the city's sacred rats living in burrows near the old government house in the surrounding gardens - though rodent phobes should definitely steer clear.

Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa
Built in 1888 and completely redeveloped just over 100 years later, Newlands is the spiritual home of South African cricket. The ground is dominated by the dramatic backdrop of Table Mountain, and shaded by oaks planted in 1902.

Evening games are well established, and so a visit to coincide with sunset over Table Mountain makes for a magical cricket experience.

Barbados, West Indies
Barbados is the perfect place to catch a leisurely game of cricket, whatever the time of year as it is the island's national sport.

Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, was the first cricket ground in the West Indies to host an English touring team, back in 1895. Formerly known as the Pickwick Cricket Club, it was also the first venue of a match featuring a combined West Indies team in 1911 and home to the first test match in the West Indies in 1935.

Galle International Stadium, Sri Lanka
The grounds at Galle are located between the harbour and port on one side and the huge Dutch fort, built in 1663, on the other.

The new stadium was built in 1996, the year the Sri Lankan's won the world cup, and became a test venue in 1998.

Adelaide Oval, South Australia
The Adelaide Oval is regarded by many as the most picturesque of Australia's test grounds, suiting a city known for its grace, civility and old money. It is in the north of the parklands that surround the city, with a skyline dominated by St Peter's Cathedral further north and downtown Adelaide to the south.

Built in the 1870s, the Oval had hosted 515 first-class matches, including 57 tests, by the close of the 1999/2000 season.

Eden Park, New Zealand
Eden Park, home to Auckland cricket from 1910, and Auckland Rugby from 1925, has been the site of a number of historic occasions, including the first international match against Australia in 1914. The 48,000 capacity stadium became a regular Test venue from 1952 and it was here in 1957 that New Zealand first beat the West Indies.

More recently, the first international 20/20 match between the Black Caps and Australia took place here.

Package holidays to all these destinations are available from www.teletext.co.uk XXX