Despite criticism over the allotment of the opening Ashes Test to Cardiff, the Welsh capital provided an enthusiastic welcome to the sport’s oldest rivalry. Cardiff became the first stadium outside England or Australia to host an Ashes Test. It also became the world’s 100th Test venue, the ninth in Britain and the first in Wales.

The Welsh capital greeted the influx of visitors on Wednesday with signs reading South Wales welcomes New South Wales. A headline on the front page of the morning daily newspaper Western Mail read: As Wales welcomes the Ashes we say COME ON ENGLAND (and it’s not very often you see that on the front page of this paper).

Ancient rivalries between England and Wales were put to one side on Wednesday morning. Instead 16,000 spectators settled down to enjoy the day’s play with England attempting to win back the Ashes from its former colony.