MELBOURNE, Jan 15: A sixth Ashes Test could be played in the 2010-11 series between Australia and England following the spectacular success of the recent series, Cricket Australia said Monday.

A sixth Test could be played in Hobart city on the southern island of Tasmania when Australia next host the series, a spokesman for the sport's governing body here said.

A host of attendance records were broken during the recent series, despite the Australians winning 5-0 in a one-sided contest to regain the Ashes.

The large crowds built on the incredible interest in the oldest rivalry in cricket generated by the 2005 series which England won at home.

“Cricket Australia is keen in principal to have six Test matches the next time we have an Ashes series in four years,” CA public affairs manager Peter Young said.

“If we do have six it gives us the ability to schedule an Ashes Test match in Hobart,” he said.

“That's our ambition ... we want to be able to take Test cricket to as many people in Australia as possible.

The Ashes, which dates back to 1882, is traditionally a five-Test series although four and six Tests have been played, the most recently in 1997.

However, England coach Duncan Fletcher warned that his players were already struggling to cope with a particularly heavy international workload.

Fletcher stressed that he hadn't discussed the matter with the ECB, who are preparing to review their side's dismal Ashes showing, but said his players needed breaks in their schedule.

“To introduce more cricket is just going to complicate the issue because we play these long Test series and players struggle to get any breaks.”—AFP