A FIRM from Bury is set to capitalise on Ashes fever after it scooped a major contract to sell advertising rights for the forthcoming Pakistan versus England test series.

Amstel Media, based in Parkhills Road, outbid a number of international companies to win the rights for advertising in the five stadia to be used for the tour in November and December.

The company - run by ex-Pakistan test cricketer Asif Masood and commentator Sean Rana - anticipates there will be massive interest from companies both in the UK and abroad.

Mr Rana said: "We formed the company a few months ago, after Asif and myself recognised an area in which we both had a good deal of experience.

"We did not really expect to get the contract when we submitted the bid to the Pakistan Cricket Board and we faced stiff competition from an Indian consortium. But we did.

"We were working on the bid well before the Ashes were won, but that has been a great bonus for us in terms of the profile that cricket has, and the commercial possibilities that it offers."

Mr Masood, who played in 16 tests for Pakistan from 1969-1977, said: "The thrilling Ashes series, plus the fact that Sky Television is covering all three Tests and the five one-day internationals means that interest is absolutely phenomenal.

"For any company looking to promote themselves to the cricket-loving public this is a wonderful chance to put their name in front of a massive audience."

Amstel Media has appointed the Frontiers Group, one of the leading sports promotion companies worldwide, to work with them.

Me Rada said: "Their expertise - especially in Asia where they already hold similar rights to cricket stadia in India will be invaluable."

"We are confident that all available advertising space will be completely sold out within a matter of two or three weeks."

Although the company expects most of the advertising space to be snapped up by multi-national brands, Amstel has put together a number of packages that enable smaller companies to benefit from the opportunity.

Mr Rana said: "Ideally we would like to see a number of less well-know companies from across the UK taking advantage of the high interest in international cricket in order to boost their profile.

"After all, we have been waiting a long time for the game to prove just how exciting it can be."

The Pakistan Cricket Board has earned revenue worth just over 300 million rupees, nearly £4 million, from the sale of title rights, advertising and sponsorship revenue in international home series since 2000.

The three test matches are due to be played at Multan, Faisalabad and Lahore, with the one day matches scheduled for Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. The first Test takes place from November 12 to 16.