The Ashes

[kevshat]

The latest renewal of the biggest series in cricket begins two weeks today and with New Zealand on the plane home and Australia touched down in England and beginning their tour on Thursday now looks like a good time to get the thread started. Five Tests will be played in what should be a belting series. Sky have all the action in the UK as ever. Schedule is here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2015/content/series/743911.html?template=fixtures

[ani_lfc]

Cannot wait for this Series to start. Im going early with a maximum bet which I think is incredible value. 10 Points A Double Century to be scored in the Ashes Series @ 2.25 StanJames Let me start of with why I think this price is incredible value. Bet365 have they're highest individual score line set at 206 Runs with odds of 1.83, so we are getting 6 runs less and higher odds for the exact same bet! The top order of both teams are filled with world class batsman who have big totals to they're name. To give you an example we have Alastair Cook - Top Score of 294 in Tests Moeen Ali - Top Score of 108* in Tests Gary Ballance - Top Score of 156 in Tests Ian Bell - Top Score of 235 in Tests Adam Lyth - Top Score of 107 in Tests Joe Root - Top Score of 200* in Tests Michael Clarke - Top Score of 329* in Tests Steven Smith - Top Score of 199 in Tests Shaun Marsh - Top Score of 148 in Tests Chris Rodgers - Top Score of 119 in Tests Adam Voges - Top Score of 130* in Tests David Warner - Top Score of 180 in Tests Shane Watson - Top Score of 176 in Tests

[ani_lfc]

Cannot wait for this Series to start. Im going early with a maximum bet which I think is incredible value. 10 Points A Double Century to be scored in the Ashes Series @ 2.25 StanJames Let me start of with why I think this price is incredible value. Bet365 have they're highest individual score line set at 206 Runs with odds of 1.83, so we are getting 6 runs less and higher odds for the exact same bet! The top order of both teams are filled with world class batsman who have big totals to they're name. To give you an example we have Alastair Cook - Top Score of 294 in Tests Moeen Ali - Top Score of 108* in Tests Gary Ballance - Top Score of 156 in Tests Ian Bell - Top Score of 235 in Tests Adam Lyth - Top Score of 107 in Tests Joe Root - Top Score of 200* in Tests Michael Clarke - Top Score of 329* in Tests Steven Smith - Top Score of 199 in Tests Shaun Marsh - Top Score of 148 in Tests Chris Rodgers - Top Score of 119 in Tests Adam Voges - Top Score of 130* in Tests David Warner - Top Score of 180 in Tests Shane Watson - Top Score of 176 in Tests

One more to be added to this, again a massive price which I cant help but take 0.5 Points A Triple Century to be scored in the Ashes Series @ 34 Paddy

[kevshat]

Series preview: 4pts England (+1.5 matches) to beat Australia 21/20 Unibet 1pt England to win 3-2 28/1 Betfred 1pt Australia to win 3-2 16/1 Bet365 However the series ends if they win two matches that is safe and with Edgbaston and Old Trafford good grounds for the hosts they have chances to win their two matches on those venues. A small correct score bet on 3-2 either way could yield dividends too. 1pt B.Stokes Top England Series Batsman 10/1 Stan James Ben Stokes only played four matches when England went out to Australia but he showed he can counter attack this top bowling attack and scored 279 in eight innings. He showed against New Zealand how he rises to the occasion and I think he’ll rise again. At 10/1 he’s good value here. 1pt B.Haddin Top Australia Series Batsman 40/1 Unibet This will be Brad Haddin’s last Ashes series. He has made a habit of terrorising England down the order and Australia’s lower order have dominated England for quite some time and that is a theme which could continue in this series. Three of Haddin’s four centuries have come against England and he averages a full 10 more against England than in his Test career so he raises his game in this battle and at 40/1 it could be worth paying to see if he raises it one last time. 1pt A.Rashid Top England Series Bowler 20/1 Betway Devendra Bishoo ran amok against Australia in the first Test of the series and although he isn’t certain to start the first Test here it could be worth taking a chance that Adil Rashid does start and has the same effect as Bishoo. Yasir Shah took 12 wickets in two matches against Australia last year so they do seem to have a problem against leg spin. At 20/1 there’s enough in the price to chance Rashid in this series. 3pts M.Starc Top Australia Series Bowler 13/5 Unibet I like Starc though because he bowls longer spells than Johnson and swings the ball both ways. Trent Boult has already shown England’s weakness against left armers this summer so I expect Mitchell Starc to have fun and even though he’s the favourite he’s worth taking here. Full preview here: https://www.punterslounge.com/the-ashes-betting-england-and-australia-set-to-renew-old-rivalries

[kevshat]

1st Test preview: 4pts B.Stokes Performance - Over 105.5pts 5/6 Paddy Power Stokes is always going to be in this game be it with the bat, the ball or in the field and as such I think a performance total of 105.5 looks well within his range. Stokes covered this line in two of the four matches he played against Australia down under and he is much more established now. He is going to bat at six and bowl plenty of overs so a couple of wickets and a couple of scores in the 30s gets him home here and that is well within his range. Full preview here: https://www.punterslounge.com/england-vs-australia-1st-test-betting-the-swalec-is-set-to-open-the-main-event-of-the-summer

[owenclass]

First Test : Joe Root most runs in the first innings 3-1 paddy power Score a fifty in the first innings 11/10 paddy power Score a century in the first innings 5/1 paddy power Steven Smith most runs in the first innings 3-1 paddy power Score a fifty in the first innings 11/10 paddy power Score a century in the first innings 4/1 paddy power Man of the Match 8/1 paddy power They are two of the best batsmen in the world and they are going to score a lot of runs in this series and what a time to start as in the first test Ashes specials Any player to score two double centuries in the series 33/1 sky bet A hat trick to be taken in the series 9/2 sky bet A hat trick to be taken in the match 25/1 sky bet

[kevshat]

Another one for me. 4pts Australia 1st inns lead 11/10 William Hill 400 has been put up in both Test matches in the first innings on this ground and both totals have been swamped by the side batting second and I've seen nothign to suggest England have got enough runs on this wicket which looks pretty flat. Admittedly Australia have bowled some filth but England are unlikely to get up to 400 and if they do it won't be many more than that. This Australia line up isn't in form as a collective unit but their middle order looks strong and they can all hold a bat all the way down. Even if the top order fail we've seen this Australia lower order bail them out against England time and again in recent series so Australia will fancy their chances of going past England. In fact the way the match is set up Australia could have England under big pressure if they bat well as they could build a really big lead. I have Australia favourites to cover England's total so I love this 11/10.

[owenclass]

First Test : Joe Root most runs in the first innings 3-1 paddy power :) Score a fifty in the first innings 11/10 paddy power :) Score a century in the first innings 5/1 paddy power :) Steven Smith most runs in the first innings 3-1 paddy power Score a fifty in the first innings 11/10 paddy power Score a century in the first innings 4/1 paddy power Man of the Match 8/1 paddy power They are two of the best batsmen in the world and they are going to score a lot of runs in this series and what a time to start as in the first test

[owenclass]

Joe Root most runs in second innings 11/4 paddy power I dont see why he cant do it again as the pitch is getting flatter and also the news Mitchell Starc could be injured is a bonus Nathan Lyon most wickets in the second innings 3/1 paddy power So Starc could be injured and that means Lyon could bowl more overs and that means more wickets for him and also the pitch is spinning so the spinners will be very important

[owenclass]

Joe Root most runs in second innings 11/4 paddy power :) I dont see why he cant do it again as the pitch is getting flatter and also the news Mitchell Starc could be injured is a bonus Nathan Lyon most wickets in the second innings 3/1 paddy power :) So Starc could be injured and that means Lyon could bowl more overs and that means more wickets for him and also the pitch is spinning so the spinners will be very important

[owenclass]

Steven Smith most runs in the second innings 11/4 paddy power If they are going to win this Test match then they will need someone to get a big score so having the Worlds best batsman in your side can help and with the pitch getting flatter he can get a big score and win it for Australia Moeen Ali most wickets in the second innings 3/1 sky bet The pitch is really good for spin and i feel Moeen will have a major say in the match as he is bowling well and he will be bowling a lot

[kevshat]

2nd Test preview: 4pts J.Root's Performance - Over 101.5pts 5/6 Paddy Power He has covered it on four of the five occasions he has played Test cricket here and even though he averages 56 in Test cricket his average at Lord’s is a phenomenal 85.88. He took wickets in the first Test too and they can’t be ruled out here so that line looks far too low. Full preview here: https://www.punterslounge.com/england-vs-australia-2nd-test-betting-australia-head-to-lord-s-needing-a-win

[owenclass]

Nathan Lyon to have most wickets in the first innings 7/2 sky bet This pitch is going to be tough for the bowlers and he will have to bowl a lot of overs just for his team to get wickets

[owenclass]

Joe Root most wickets in the second innings 20/1 paddy power He is a big price but he will probably bowl a lot and is capable of getting a few wickets

[owenclass]

Third test preview Joe Root most runs in the first innings 11/4 paddy power I hope he does well as he is playing well and he is the most consistent out of all the batsmen Mitchell Johnson most runs in the first innings 50/1 paddy power If it is a bowling pitch then they could be out for low total and Johnson might have a part to play in getting a big total

[owenclass]

Australia to win the Third test 9/2 paddy power England are in a strong position but Australia always find a way of coming back into the match and if they bowl them out for a low total and bat well in the second innings they can still win the game

[BigMozzyDog]

5pts Australia to win the fourth test at 11/10 with Paddy Power Losing a player of Jimmy Anderson's ability would hurt any team, but halfway through an Ashes series, it could prove to be a game changer. The new stands at Trent Bridge mean that it doesn't swing as much, with won't help the England cause either. 1pt David Warner to be MOTM at 12/1 with Coral Warner is noted for getting most of his big scores in the second innings and nothing brings on an over-sized cheque and bottle of bubbly quite like a match winning knock. He looked brutal in the second innings at Edgbaston too. Check out the full preview, including top batsman tips, here: https://www.punterslounge.com/the-ashes-there-s-value-to-be-had-backing-an-oval-decider

[owenclass]

Steve Smith to score a century in the first innings 4/1 paddy power He will be determined to get a big score after his failure in the last test where he was poor Australia to win 3-2 in the test series 3/1 paddy power I think without Anderson they will struggle to win a test and usually after a defeat Australia always comes back

[GrimReaper]

Australia destroyed... what is this?

[BigMozzyDog]

5pts England to win the Ashes 4-1 at 13/8 with William Hill Nobody saw today coming, but one thing you don't have to be psychic to see is how difficult it will be for the Aussies to pick themselves up for the last test. As far as this match goes, picking at the carcass of the Aussie bowlers could lead to some value. with Hazlewood perfectly suited to this deck. Check out the full preview here: https://www.punterslounge.com/the-ashes-total-domination-for-a-resurgent-england

[owenclass]

David Warner to score most runs in second innings 3/1 paddy power Steve Smith to score most runs in second innings 11/4 paddy power Only these two are capable of scoring big and i think these two will score some big runs as their team needs it

[owenclass]

David Warner to score most runs in second innings 3/1 paddy power :cigar Steve Smith to score most runs in second innings 11/4 paddy power Only these two are capable of scoring big and i think these two will score some big runs as their team needs it

Well Warner usually scores well in the second innings

[BigMozzyDog]

3pts England Women to beat Australia at 5/2 with Bet365 Although Charlotte Edwards' side have slipped behind in the series, the longer format suits a team that has much more experience of test match cricket. England's record over four days is pretty useful and they have key players who will be taking the field at their home ground. I think they are a very big price to take the result and move a step closer to retaining the Ashes. You can read a full match preview here: https://www.punterslounge.com/women-s-ashes-can-only-test-match-give-england-the-edge-

[richard galbraith]

England to beat Australia for a 4/10 stake @ 7 to 5 Australia look a beaten side in far worse shape than at this stage in 2013. The strong English spirit being shown in this new era gives me enough confidence to back them despite the dead rubber set up.

[BigMozzyDog]

3pts England to win at 7/5 with Stan James This game sees the international careers of Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers come to a close and there is no doubt that the visitors will want to give two of their most reliable performers a send off to remember. Unfortunately for them, just 22 yards away will be bowlers like Finn, Broad and Stokes who will surely have given them nightmares ever since the now infamous massacre of Nottingham. It is hard to imagine Australia coming back from such a brutal defeat, and with a draw seemingly favourite on paper based on history, the pitch has really changed things. In fact an indication of how the pitch will play is in the exclusion of Adil Rashid from the final reckoning. I don’t see how Australia can banish the last test from their minds and with a draw likely to be taken out of the equation here, it is hard to see anything other than a 4-1 result. 1pt Cummins to be top Aussie bowler at 9/2 with Paddy Power For Australia there are likely to be changes to their line-up, with Mitchell Marsh odds-on to return and Pat Cummins tipped to come in for the injured Josh Hazelwood. Cummins is an intriguing prospect. The last time he played a test match he was the man of the match and many in the know, including Shane Warne have been calling for his inclusion. His performances in the tour matches have been good and he provides a right arm fast option that has been missing this series. You can read a full preview here: https://www.punterslounge.com/the-ashes-england-could-make-history-at-the-oval

[owenclass]

Match to finish on Day three 8/1 paddy power The last twio matches the tests have finished within three days and if the pitch is green then it could be the same thing but only if Australia bat as badly as they did in the last match

[BigMozzyDog]

3pts New Zealand to win at 9/4 with Ladbrokes After beating the Proteas a matter of days ago and with Kane Williamson in supreme form, the Kiwis aren’t proving to be the whipping boys everyone expected. They’re a great team of blokes. On paper there is no doubt that South Africa are a better side than New Zealand, but that means very little. The Kiwis are a resilient cricketing people who win when they aren’t supposed to, and they aren’t supposed to here. I think New Zealand should have won the last match and a couple of very out of character dismissals cost them. They won’t make the same mistake again.

[richard galbraith]

England v Australia to end days 1, 2 or 3 for a 1/10 stake @ 11/4 with Betfair With bad weather moving in surely Clarke won't sign up as an idiot by batting on unnecessarily and will force the follow on. With the half hour available this is value.

[BigMozzyDog]

3pts Australia to win the T20I at 8/11 with Ladbrokes In recent months England have made much of their limited overs revival which is supported by a strong display in the New Zealand series. The litmus paper for this new found aggression will be when results fade. Will players start being derided for being caught at cow corner after three balls? We can’t whole heartedly bet against it. The way to manage this exciting crop of players is to allow them to fail playing their natural game in the hope that consistency will develop over time. If it happens, England will be a force for the upcoming international tournaments over 20 and 50 overs. At this moment in time there are too many variables to submit to backing England. Granted Ian Bell has finally fallen on his sword (although he is unlikely to have been picked), freeing up some space in the top-order for a more versatile player. However you look at the Australian side and see a group of players who have been playing England’s “new” style of cricket for a decade. They’re formidable. If this week’s ODI against Ireland is anything to go by they will open the batting with Warner and Burns and look to apply pressure to the England attack from the off. It is how that attack manages the pressure that could decide the game. For me the Aussies have too much quality and destructive power to lose this game and the following ODI series. They will be out to make a statement and I think they will. You can read a full preview here: https://www.punterslounge.com/england-vs-australia-unconvincing-australia-return-to-firm-ground