andrew strauss

England cricket chiefs have confirmed that Andrew Strauss is stepping down as one-day captain of the national side and will be replaced by his Test match opening partner Alastair Cook. A change has also been announced in the captaincy of the England Twenty20 side with veteran Paul Collingwood, who led England to success in last year’sTwenty20 World Cup, being replaced by the younger Stuart Broad.

Strauss has led the one-day side for the last two years but has opted to step aside after a disappointing World Cup campaign in which his team were beaten by the likes of Ireland and Bangladesh in the group stages before being beaten by 10 wickets by Sri Lanka in the quarter-finals. Strauss told reporters, "We still have a long way to go if we’re to achieve our goal of winning ICC global events and I feel now is the right time for me to step aside and ensure someone else takes up that challenge. Retiring from one-day cricket will also enable me to focus solely on the Test captaincy and our ongoing development in the Test arena as we also strive to be the top ranked team in world cricket."

Cook was the stand-out England batsmen during their historic Ashes success in Australia during the winter, scoring a record 766 runs, but was not included for the subsequently disappointing one-day series against the Aussies or the World Cup and the 26-year-old Essex batsman has made just three one-day appearances in the past two and a half years, all of which were on last year’s tour of Bangladesh. He obviously made an impression as stand-in skipper in those games, however, and his team are a best 4/7 with Victor Chandler to make a winning start under his leadership against the injury-hit Sri Lankans in the upcoming one-day series. England are 7/4 with sportingbet and Victor Chandler in the Correct Score market to win the series 3-2 and a general 3/1 to run out 4-1 winners.

Broad will make his debut as captain when he leads England’s Twenty20 side against Sri Lanka in Bristol next month though team director Andy Flower, who has just signed a contract extension, has admitted the decision to choose three different captains for the first time comes with an element of risk.

Just how well will England fare in the 2011 Cricket World Cup? Not well enough to win it probably, even though they have previously been mentioned in the same breath as India and Sri Lanka as potential winners. England’s odds on winning the little gold trophy have drifted way out following their hammering at the hands of Australia 6-1 following the success of the Ashes. Yes, they have bit hit by injury, and while they are expected to have Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan back, it won’t be enough. Their key player in the short format of the game, and the man who has carried them so well over the last twelve months or so with the bat, Eoin Morgan is missing, and that will hurt them badly. You will likely make more profit in betting against England than by backing them. Just saying. While the 2011 Cricket World Cup looks as if it will be a pretty open affair, England look to just have too many cracks in their line up. Sure, Pakistan are too unpredictable and volatile to back heavily. Sure India and South Africa have choker labels on them, so should that put England in the hunt? No. Their struggles against lowly Canada, where Kevin Pietersen was surprisingly deployed as opening batsman, will not have instilled much confidence, winning by just 16 runs. England have one more warm up match to come against Pakistan.

England will do well enough to be in the quarter finals for the knockout stage. They are in the tougher Group B of the draw, and have to negotiate matches against South Africa and India (who are potential tournament winners). A good run of three wins would push any team through to the knockout stage, so that leaves victories against the Netherlands and Ireland as being essential, and there is a very tricky match against the rapidly improving Bangladesh. There’s not a lot of certainty around England here, and they looked a bit tired and beaten up in the one day series against Australia. England do not have a solid opening partner for Andrew Strauss, they are missing Morgan, and Kevin Pietersen cannot be relied upon so much as he has been throughout his career to fire England to victory. Graeme Swann should be able to make a big impact with his spin bowling, and will be happy to get into conditions which will suit him after the dry flat tracks Down Under. There probably isn’t enough in the bowling attack to really damage the top level opponents in this tournament, and the batsmen are not the best players of spin. Tim Bresnan is being eased back into things but will miss the opening matches, Broad has just returned from injury (although he is suffering from an illness at the moment), Ajmal Shahzad is nursing a hamstring injury, England are short on fully fit bowlers at the moment. There is not the explosive batting which you can rely on from England, and once they get bogged down against spin, it is hard to see them running up large unassailable totals really.

So, are we looking at an early exit for a somewhat beleaguered England? You can take the price of for them not to qualify, and when you break it down, there is the possibility of it happening. Of course, they won the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup as complete dark horses, but you look at the 50 over format and see so much potential elsewhere.

Let’s picture England squeezing through as one of the top four teams in the Group (and they could be pressed hard by Bangladesh), then a quarter final exit for England will fetch 15/13 at Bwin. If you don’t think that they will even get that far, there is a lot of value in taking England for an early exit from the group stage for a price of 13/2 at SkyBet.

The top England batsman market may as well fall on Kevin Pietersen, now he is getting a run out as opener. Who knows with him, as he still have the most talent and the most to offer in the batting line up. Decent return on Pieterson for 4/1 at Unibet. This would have been the ideal category to back Eoin Morgan, but England have been robbed of him. Other potential big scorers really are only Matt Prior (12/1 at Unibet) on his day, Andrew Strauss (4/1 at Totesport) and the more plausible figure of Jonathan Trott (7/2 at Totesport). Trott scores heavily, but scores slowly and that is why he isn’t a natural one day player. But he has great temperament, sticks around and will get valuable runs on the board.

The top wicket taker for England will likely be pushed by James Anderson (7/2 at Bet365) and Graeme Swann (5/2 at Boylesports). Swann will get a lot more action with the conditions favoring him, and Anderson is the go to guy, Mr. Reliable when it comes to swing. Bresnan really would have been a top contender here, as he is so dangerous at the top of the innings and at the end. Not sure what level of participation he is going to be able to offer, so stick with the two main men.

Head to Victor Chandler for your Cricket World Cup betting for outright winner. If England win the tournament, then all losing bets placed on the outright winner market will be refunded. This is well worth doing your cricket betting at Victor Chandler, because you just never know, and it provides some kind of coverage. With great prices available right now on favourites Sri Lanka and potential outsiders of South Africa and even the unpredictable Pakistan, it’ll be worth picking up your odds now at Victor Chandler. Victor Chandler offer a free £25 bet for new customers opening an account with them.

Melbourne, December 26 - England head to Melbourne with confidence that the conditions will still be in their favour. There have been talk from the Australians of setting up the pitch to completely suit them. That’s not really anything out of the ordinary, as you would expect home sides to do just that. However, it is coming into play more in Melbourne, because the natural conditions, especially with some damper weather around, would have been ideally suited to the England swing bowlers. That is the English strength in attack, getting the ball to move around, and either way this should be a great test match. England are still undecided as to whether they are going to rest rookie Steve Finn though. The paceman is England’s top wicket taker (and tipped on these pages at the start of the Tour to be England’s top bowler) but during the second innings of the Third Test, he looked as if he was tiring, something picked up on by the Aussies. You can’t be in an Ashes Test Match really at less than 100%, as carrying a bowler in a four man attack is not going to pay off. England are already without their agitator Stuart Broad, but Chris Tremlett, a surprise selection for many, showed that he was ready to but fire into the seam attack in the Third Test. There’s no doubt that England will stick to their four man attack, even with the work load being extremely heavy. England coach Andy Flower must weigh up the pros and cons of throwing Tim Bresnan or Ajmal Shahzad into the attack in replace of Finn. That is half of England’s first choice attack, down. The main problem for England is there really is no genuine all rounder to pick up any slack.

The pressure though is on the batsman. The England bowlers, despite tiring, have generally done pretty well, really taking the game to Australia. However, the Batsmen, after some fine performances, really let themselves down in the third test, from a strong position in their first innings. Once Alastair Cook had gone, England collapsed and never recovered in the entire match. The old problem of losing quick wickets plagued them again, and there needs to be some resiliency shown from them. Paul Collingwood is the man under the greatest pressure in the side, as he just averaging in the teens for the entire series. It is highly unlikely that England will make any changes in the batting line up though, simply because Collingwood is one of those players that can save games. It is unusual for any Test side to have all eleven players firing on all cylinders, so they will just have to muddle through this one. Instead of a change, there may be a shuffle in the line up, with Ian Bell, who is quietly enjoying an impressive series, moving up the order. Someone needs to settle the side down from the off, and that duty should fall on the shoulders of captain Andrew Strauss, but he needs back up. The double century hitting Kevin Pietersen disappeared in the third test, and England can’t afford to be carrying two underperforming batsmen. However, there is enough in the side to suggest that they will be fine. They have had a good year, and they were always going to face a tough match at some point during the series. The heavy defeat has left them standing at 1-1 in the Series and they simply need to rediscover the composure of the second test.

The conditions in Melbourne should help them, and really a lot of focus has to switch back to Graeme Swann. One of the world’s top spin bowlers, Swann simply has not had the impact that his status projected. Mike Hussey really got on top of him from the word go in the Australian second innings of the Third Test, but the pitch in Perth really didn’t offer Swann any kind of bounce to work with. Swann really is England’s trump card, and that is why Australia are looking at preparing Melbourne to be unfriendly to Swann again. Take him out of the attack and that leaves a heavy burden for the three other front line bowlers. That is the dilemma which faces England, but coach Andy Flower won’t change the setup. England have a game plan and that is what they stick with. It is a rare occasion which will see the English change their setup, and it won’t be here. There really is no need to, as it is a system which works. The spin bowler is a huge part of this, but it has not been a series for the spin bowlers so far. You would expect them to show up sooner rather than later. The batsmen just needs to watch for the swing bowling that may be firing down the track at them from Mitchell Johnson. The very thing which caught them off guard in the Third Test and really was their downfall. England still are in the driving seat despite their heavy defeat in Perth. Two draws and they go back home with the Ashes. One win in Melbourne and they cannot be beaten in the series.

So, have the Australians suddenly raised their game? As a whole, not really. Their star performance, which has kept their Ashes series alive, was Mike Hussey with the bat. He is the big danger man and such a class act. On the bowling front, the Australians still don’t look settled. Peter Siddle showed a great flash of form, as did Mitchell Johnson, who looked all out of sorts in the first test. There is still a big question of settled consistency from the Australian bowling attack, but one thing which may have made a difference in Perth, was the fact that they were a little more aggressive. There was a bit more fight from Australia in the Third Test, a little more energy, and that of course had to happen. The Australians were not going to go through the entire series without putting up some kind of fight. It had to happen, but it should not have been anything which threw England off their track so easily. There is a feeling that that was Australia’s best, that they really don’t have another level to step up to at the moment. The signs are looking good that Ricky Ponting is going to play, and that could be a good thing for England. He is under pressure, and England have gotten at him, and there is nothing for a boost of confidence like dismissing the opposing captain. Adversely, England are better than the performance which they offered in the third test. There has to be more to come from them, and it will just be a matter of composure.

Fourth Test Top England Batsman

This is a match which crying out for a captain’s innings. Therefore Andrew Strauss needs to lead from the front, and it makes good sense that he will have a good knock. At a price of 4/1 at Totesport, the England captain is not a bat shout. None of the England batsmen really played well in the third test, so you can skip that one in terms of form. Pietersen, Trott and Collingwood looked out of sorts, and are better than what they showed. However, England need their captain, so its time to back him stepping up to the plate.

Fourth Test Top England Bowler

Still no real word of what is going to happen to the England attack on Boxing Day. Will Finn get rested? This could really be the test that sees James Anderson lead from the front. He has been tight with a strain in his side apparently, but still worth backing here. England’s most consistent performer, the cool head, and should be able to get more swing, and if he’s on fire, then England will be in a strong position. Worth taking at 5/2 at Bet365.

Fourth Test Outright Odds

Australia: 6/4 at Bet365
Draw: 23/10 at SkyBet
England: 2/1 at Bet365

Ashes Series Winner Odds

Australia: 13/8 at Bet365
Draw: 12/5 at Boylesports
England: 9/5 at BetFred

Ashes Series Correct Score

Australia 2-1 – 10/3 at Bet365
England 2-1 – 4/1 at SportingBet

Nope, England’s Ashes plans didn’t go well as they were crushed in Perth in the Third Test of the series. Going into the match on the back of a win, and needing only one more win to secure that the Ashes stayed with them, for the first time on Tour, England’s batting really let them down. After dominating with the bat in the Second Test, there was to be no repeat of the heroics from the likes of Alastair Cook or Kevin Pietersen, as the tourists could only manage 187 and 123 in their two innings. Things just didn’t come together for Andrew Strauss and his men, and now they need to not panic with just two games remaining. England were left with a bruising chase of 391 to win in their second innings, but at the end of day three they were 81-5 and out of the running. It didn’t take the Aussies long on the fourth morning to skittle out the rest of the England attack. Now there are whispers that England may consider changing a pretty settled line up for the Fourth Test which starts on Boxing Day in Melbourne. There is nothing wrong with the batting line up and as mentioned on these pages before, an England collapse had to happen at some point. It was unlikely that they were going to go through all five Tests without having to face some kind of disaster. It is better that it happened here than in a fifth and deciding Test. Now the measure of how good a side they are, will be down to how well they can picked themselves up.

Ashes Series Outright Winner

Australia to win: 8/5 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Coral
England to win: 15/8 at BetFred

While it was England’s batting which let the tourists down, the bowling has to be scrutinised heavily. England’s trump card Graeme Swann was inexpensive and ineffective again (although the pitch didn’t help him at all) and without Stuart Broad in the attack, England looked to be struggling. Chris Tremlett filled in for Broad and made an immediate impact, but Australian bowler Peter Siddle proclaimed that England’s bowlers were looking tired during the Third Test, and he was right. Steve Finn, who is making his Ashes debut at just 21, looked shattered at times after all the work he has put in. He is England’s top wicket taker in the series so far, but looks as if he needs to spend a week or so off his feet with a hot cup of tea in his hand. England need him fresh and fit if they are going to keep themselves in the hunt to retain the Ashes. England have just about a week now to get everything sorted out, but they must not panic. When you look at the bowling options that England have in reserve, such as Tim Bresnan, it really makes sense to stick with Finn, as he is showing great promise and to pull him now could hurt his confidence. Yes, he was expensive in the second innings, but he still took vital match wickets. He needs more support as the England bowling attack, although they have cut through the Aussie batting line up with great aplomb, hasn’t operated fully as a four man attack yet. Someone has stepped up to carry the can, where they need a team effort.

To be honest the Aussies needed this and it happened with a certain amount of inevitability. They needed this win after looking hopeless in the second test. Their bowlers, by and large, have been extremely ineffectual throughout the series, highlighted by the big scores that England have posted against them. There are still calls around the Australian Media that captain Ricky Ponting’s captaincy is hurting the Australian side, and now there is doubt about his fitness for the Fourth Test in Melbourne. Ponting has broken a bone in his little finger, and has said that he will only play if it is to the benefit of his country. This really is a story to watch, as he was included in an unchanged Aussies squad for the fourth test. Pointing hasn’t been in great form with the bat, but the Aussie captain believes that he has a pretty good chance of playing nonetheless. This is where Stuart Broad (the one England bowler to whom the Perth track was suited) will be missed. England would need his aggression to get after the Australian captain who could be nursing a bit of an injury. The hard, Perth track really suited the Australians and that is what has allowed them to get back into the series.

However, it has been damper in Melbourne, and the pitch will not be as hard as it was in Perth, and it could swing back a little advantage to England. Being similar to the conditions in Adelaide where England won convincingly, the conditions may just help England hang onto the Ashes. They need just one more win now to ensure they go back home triumphant, but with a bit of life being shown by the Aussies, there is still a huge amount of cricket to played. The odds at your online bookmaker for cricket betting may have just edged back towards Australia again, but this series is far from settled.

Ashes Correct Score

Australia 2-1: 10/3 at Coral
England 2-1: 7/2 at Bet365
Draw 2-2: 15/4 at Blue Square
Australia 3-1: 6/1 at Coral
England 3-1: 7/1 at SportingBet

The Ashes continues in just a few day’s time, with England one up in the best of five series after two Test Matches. After some superlative batting in the second innings of the First Test from Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott to save England from potential defeat, it was the bowlers turn to shine in the Second Test, skittling out the Aussies in Adelaide for just 245 in their first innings. Jimmy Anderson did most of the damage, taking 4 for 51. Then it was the turn of the England batsmen to show the Aussies just how it is done. Opener Alistair Cook continued his fine form with a second century in successive innings, by knocking off 148, but the star of the show was Kevin Pietersen, who emulated Cook’s efforts in the First Test by hitting a double century. It is ironic that these two players have made the biggest impact with the bat, as they were the two who were being specifically targeted by the Australians as the potential weak links in the England batting line up. It was a return of the old Kevin Pietersen, as he hit 227 in just 308 balls, including 33 fours and one six, before falling to spinner Xavier Doherty. That set up England for a massive 620 declared in their first innings, putting the pressure firmly back on the Australians. England needed their bowlers to perform again, with threats from the weather to deprive them victory, but Graeme Swann and James Anderson again, took down the Australians for just 304, giving England an innings and 71 run victory. That is massive in the Ashes, and now puts England in the driving seat.

The Australians are all over the place, it has to be said. After failing to win at the Gabba in the First Test, which is their fortress, they weren’t at the running in the Second Test either. With their bowling attack looking confused, disjointed and uncertain, there have been rumours that legendary spinner Shane Warne would come out of retirement and into the remaining three games of the Ashes. That, realistically is not going to happen, and captain Ricky Ponting has to find a different way to dig his nation out of a hole. The Australian media are turning on him and his side, as with all the hype of a Warne return, really is just playing into England’s hands. It shows just what a mess Australia are in at the moment. If England needed any further signals that they are in the supremacy, then they just have to look at the selections Australia have made for the Third Test. The Aussies have brought in left arm spinner Michael Beer, who has played just five first class matches in his career. This is clutching at straws time, as the selectors are turning to a journeyman who really doesn’t look as if he has the qualifications to be playing at this ultimate cricket test. Again Australia have changed up the bowling attack, after dropping Doug Bollinger and Xavier Doherty, along with Marcus North, a potential future captain who is having a rough time. In the squad of twelve for the Third Test, Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson, both of who were dropped after the First Test for underperforming, come back in, along with leg spinner Steve Smith. At the top of the batting order, Phillip Hughes is likely to come back to replace Simon Katich, who has been ruled out because of an Achilles injury.

The Australians don’t look as if they know where to turn too, but while England have enjoyed a settled side, they will have to go with a different eleven when the Third Test starts on December 16th in Perth, because Stuart Broad has been ruled out of the Ashes with injury. He couldn’t bowl in Australia’s second innings, and now the England selectors have an interesting decision to make, as to who will replace him. In a Tour Match this week against Victoria, none of the back up crew really seized upon their chance to replace Broad in the attack, as Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad failed to take a wicket between them. Tremlett posted the most economical figures out of the trio, but Bresnan may be the man England turn too, just because has that little bit experience in the England side. He has performed well for England, but he has never really threatened to look like a top class elite wicket taker on the international stage. But, if England are looking for dependable and solid, then they will probably just slot him into the line up. If they are braver, then Shahzad may get more out of the Perth track. This may not affect the chances of England remaining unbeaten in the Third Test, because Jimmy Anderson, Steve Finn and Graeme Swann should have enough to really take the game to the Australians.

You could visibly see it in action, England growing in confidence. Wrapping the Second Test up in such an emphatic manner has really seen them take the initiative. They just need one more win out of the three remaining fixtures to secure the Ashes, as the Australians won’t be able to beat them. As for the Australians, they need to at least win two and draw one of the remaining three matches to take back the Ashes. For them to lose on their home turf would be one of the most stunning outcomes in an Ashes series for many, many years. Australia simply do not lose Test Series at home, but England came into the event full of confidence after a strong year, and very united as a team. There really was no threat of another 5-0 whitewash happening, such as it did the last time they went Down Under to contest the Ashes, and now their fate is really in their own hands. There is still a lot of cricket to play, and you really would have to expect England to have a bad match as some point in the series, it is just the way things go. They still have much work to do and cannot be complacent about the task ahead. Although the Aussies aren’t in great nick, you should expect a comeback, a bit of a fight back at some point. It is hard to see England losing in Perth though, where they should enjoy a bit of shorter bowling at the Aussies, with Steve Finn perhaps a big key.

Ashes Third Test Outright Odds

England to win: 13/8 at BetFred
Draw: 23/18 at Bwin
Australia to win: 39/19 at Unibet
England have Australia on the ropes, and they need to press home this advantage. They can’t let their foot off the gas and let the hosts get back into this one. For the first time England are favourites at the bookies to win a Test Match in the Ashes series. Worth a punt.

Top England Batsman

Kevin Pietersen: 7/2 at Totesport
Andrew Strauss: 4/1 at SkyBet
Alastair Cook: 4/1 at Bet365
Jonathan Trott: 9/2 at Boylesports
Ian Bell: 11/2 at Bet365
Well, who to punt for here? The England batsmen are in fine form, with Cook going so strongly and Pietersen weighing in heavily. His experience is crucial, along with that of captain Strauss. England look strong at the top of the order, and Strauss really is due to come up big for his side as top scorer.

Top England Bowler

James Anderson: 5/2 at Totesport
Graeme Swann: 11/4 at Stan James
Steven Finn: 7/2 at BetFred
Anderson and Swann have to perform if England are going to succeed, so they should be in the running. However, the pitch in Perth may suit Finn well as he can pump the ball in shorter with his speed and height. Good odds, worth a punt.

Ashes Outright Odds

England to win: 10/21 at Bwin
Draw: 7/2 at Bet365
Australia: 6/1 at SkyBet

Alright, so Alistair Cook can bat a bit. He had been pencilled in as the potential big weak link in the England team, but he responded to all critics, and everything that the Aussies bowling attack could throw at him, as he cracked off a double century in England’s second innings of the First Test. So what have we learnt from the first test? One of the most stand out things is that the bowling attack from Australia is little more than average. Even during England’s first inning, Australia really didn’t bowl enough quality balls that really warranted the wickets that they took early on. Perhaps it was down to a bit of English nerves. The tourists were skittled out for 260 in the first innings, with Alistair Cook (67) and Ian Bell (76) really the only ones looking as if they would be able to pull something out of the bag. Australia’s Peter Siddle did all the damage, taking six wickets for 54 runs. After England struggled to take Australian wickets, there was a 221 deficit by the time England came to bat for their second innings. It was a different story this time around, as Andrew Strauss, Alistair Cook and Jonathan Trott all hit centuries to post 517 for 1 declared. That remarkable second innings, with the highlight being Cook’s wonderful unbeaten 235, saved the match for England, and the home side wasn’t happy. You could see the frustration working its way into the Australian game, the long England’s second inning went on.

Ashes Second Test Betting Outright Winner Odds

England: 9/4 at BetFred
Draw: 15/8 at SkyBet
Australia: 5/2 at 888Sport

In the bowling department for England, an extra edge needs to be found really. Ashes debutant Steven Finn bagged himself 6 for 125, but worryingly for England, could perhaps be the form of spinner Graeme Swann. Touring spin bowlers have an incredibly tough time in Australia, more so than in any other test country. The Swann that turned up for the first Ashes test, really wasn’t the great man who has worked his way into the shortlist for the Sports Personality of the year. Cocky and confident though, you can expect him to bounce back, and you still get the feeling that he will have a big contribution to play in the series. The same has to be said of Stuart Broad, who didn’t really deliver much with either bat or ball. Still, the teams overall looked pretty evenly matched. There were highlights and big lows for both sides, and there are clear weaknesses and strengths in both camps. There really may not be many victories in this Ashes series, so it will probably all go down to the fifth test unless something unexpected happens.

So what of the Australians? Well, captain Ricky Ponting has a great deal of pondering to do (coupled with a Golden Duck in the first innings of the Second Test!). He was upset that video technology worked against him, as he apparently caught Alistair Cook down low in the second innings (although Cook had already past his double century). The video referral disagreed, and Ponting, who has petitioned test sides to have a gentleman’s’ agreement to trust in the fielder’s word, was keen to moan about his misgivings. Anyway, Ponting is not leading a confident side at the moment, and they will have been rocked by the superb recovery and resistance that England put up in the first test. The Aussies had been bragging that the match at the Gabba was a banker, because visitors just don’t get the better of the hosts there. England, although not winning the match, certainly scored a major moral victory in the Ashes series. There are problems with the Australia line up, notably pace man Mitchell Johnson, who had a horrible test, and spinner Xavier Doherty failed to impress as well. With Nathan Hauritz being dropped out of favour, the Australians look weak here. The Australian’s do have options, but they seem unsure of themselves. If they used Marcus North as their spinner, it would open another window for a specialist batsman. North, batting at number six, really hasn’t posted significant scores this season with the bat, but if used right, he could have a bigger role to play than he has been given.

There have been changes in the attacking line up from the Australians, as they called up Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris to the squad. Bollinger has arguably been Australia’s best bowler over the last year, and is back from injury worries. Ryan Harris has also booked a spot in the eleven, because of his natural ability to swing the ball both ways, and he should get a lot of help from the pitch in Adelaide for the second test. Doherty, Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus should all be looking over their shoulders for the rest of the series, as poor performances from all really put a dampener on Australia’s Ashes hopes. Australia have put both Bollinger and Harris in at the expense of Hilfenhaus and Mitchell, as expected, but with the Aussies batting first in Adelaide, we will have to wait to see the impact that they will have on the match. Perhaps for Australia, going back full circle a lot of the problems lies with Captain Ricky Ponting. They have had a tough year on the road under his captaincy, and the media and fans are putting him under a lot of pressure. The face of Australia cricket really isn’t smiling all that much at the moment, and his tactics in the field during England’s second innings left a lot to be desired. He simply did not get enough out of his bowlers, and after only managing 10 in the first innings, falling to James Anderson, and watching England post a big score in their second innings, he will feel the stress even more. His quick fire 50 in Australia’s second innings, should have saved his face a little bit. He’s a tough competitor and passionate about the game, expect some fireworks and arguments from him.

So England generally look in pretty good shape for Adelaide for the second test. They gained some big momentum at the Gabba and really now need to take advantage of that and press home any whiff of an advantage that they can get in Adelaide. The conditions just may suit the England bowlers a little better than it did in Brisbane, with Jimmy Anderson being able to get a bit more swing from the track. There may also be a bit more there for Graeme Swann to work with as well, especially in the second spell. England lost in Adelaide on the last visit during the horrendous white-wash Ashes series, and they have to avoid that. A win here for England would really see them take a massive step towards retaining the coveted urn. The Aussies are not going to lie down and roll over easily though. They were still the team who were in a position to actually win the first test, and playing in their own conditions, they are incredibly tough to beat. Any stat will back that up. If this one is drawn as well, then the series will really be on the wire, as the Aussies will be the more desperate of the two. Expect the Australian batting to be strong, especially in the top four of five, there are weaknesses beneath that though. How much will the changed Australian side, have any influence over the settled, confident England team? All to play for. England to edge this one.

Ashes Second Test Top England Batsman

Well, obviously Alistair Cook is in fine shape, but Australia really didn’t bowl to his weaknesses, and they are there. Cricket is a big confidence game, but it will be hard to reproduce as well. Andrew Strauss will always be in amongst the runs, but finally England have a solid number three in Jonathan Trott. Physically and mentally strong, he has the best betting average at number three for ages for England. His second century against the Aussies will have settled his tour nerves, and well worth a punt for another big knock.
Jonathan Trott: 9/2 at Totesport

Ashes Second Test Top England Bowler

Jimmy Anderson was head and shoulders England’s best bowler in the First Test. His control was magnificent, although the conditions didn’t really offer him the chance to take many wickets. Has taken two early on in the second test, so his value is down. Debutant Steven Finn, after a shaky start, settled down magnificently to take six wickets. His speed and bounce will continue to pose a huge threat to the Aussies batsmen, and will look for him to take another good haul.
Steven Finn: 11/2 at Boylesports

Ashes Correct Series Score

The much favoured outcome is 2-1 victory for England. That really is the good average for a five test series, and Australia don’t give much away on their home turf. There are signs that this is going to be close, but England have the potential to cause a big shock and upset here, and at a decent price is worth backing.
England 2-1 for 9/2 at Bet365

Ashes Series Outright

Taking a drawn series does make a lot of sense considering how closely matched the two sides are. It is decent value for 7/2 at BetFred. Australia are still favorites priced 11/8 at Coral to actually win the series, so let’s look for England with value for 6/4 at BetFred.

UPDATE: England have taken three quick wickets from the Aussies at the start of the Second Test. Half hour in and Australia are 61-3. One run out and two wickets for Jimmy Anderson, and are the Aussies really on the ropes?

The Ashes are edging ever nearer and nearer as the First Test starts on Thursday, November 25th and the players are ready, and so should your cricket betting decisions be. England captain Andrew Strauss will lead the charge for the visitors Down Under as they look to win (or at least draw) a historic series that would see them retain the coveted Ashes. This is the big cricket rivalry and trying to win in Australia is one immense challenge for any Test nation. Can the positive England carry through good form and upset the rattled Aussies who are out of form? Here is a betting guide to the Ashes Series Betting, First Test Betting and some cricket betting tips for you.

Australia v England Series Winner Tip

Bookie Favourite: Australia 11/10 at Stan James
This is the main fixed odds outright market for the Ashes. You may be surprised to see Australia as favourites, because no doubt you will have seen in the media how they are lacking form, cohesion, and just how well England have been playing all year. You will have seen how England are looking good in their warm up matches. However, Australia do not lose many Test Matches at home. Their record in Test Matches this year tells a very good picture to illustrate this. In the summer, Australia drew a series with Pakistan 1-1 in England. They then lost 2-0 against India, in India. However, prior to that, at the start of the year, they beat Pakistan 2-0, and New Zealand 2-0 (in New Zealand). Australia when they are on their own continent are a lot stronger than they are on their travels. Lets add some more figures to this. In 371 Test Matches on their home turf, Australia have won a staggering 210 of them. They have only lost 90 matches at home, as the other 71 can be accounted for as Draws. England’s actual record in Australia is Played 165, Won 54, Lost 85 and Drawn 26. Matches played and of those, just 54 have been won by England. That is why the bookies have Australia at the short odds. Winning Down Under is no easy thing. However, England may never get a better chance as they have now to show up the Aussies in their own back yard, for a long time. England do have momentum.
Online-Betting Tip: England 9/5 at William Hill

Series Correct Score Tip:

Bookie Favourite: Draw 2-2 for 13/2 at BetFred
It has been a long time since England won an Ashes series in Australia. Over twenty years in fact and that equates to five straight losses in a row. However there is a bigger stat which is worth looking at here, as in those five straight losses Down Under, England have barely made a mark in the win column of the Test Matches played in the series. They haven’t just lost Down Under, they have been obliterated. In those twenty five matches played since England last won an Ashes Series in Australia, England have only won three of them. That’s it. Add to that four drawn matches and you see just how much they have struggled to win a Test Match in Australia. That is the momentous task which is facing Captain Andrew Strauss as he leads his side out. Those figures point to England not posting a high total of wins this time around, and two should be around the right figure, as England are actually playing well at the moment. It is unlikely more wins that that will come, and of course, two wins may just be enough to hold onto the Ashes. Because there is not much to chose between England and Australia at the moment for several reasons, Bookies are leaning towards a drawn series. However, this really is England’s best chance in such a long time, and it is worth having a punt on them to win, simply for value. The score line when England last won Down Under? 2-1
Online-Betting Tip: England 2-1 for 9/1 at Bet365

Top England Batsman Betting Tip

Bookie Favourite: 4/1 at William Hill
A good place to start here is by looking at the batting averages of the current England players. This should give you some good guidelines. The familiar names are all at the top of the charts though, with Kevin Pietersen right up there with an average of 47.80 and he is followed up by Andrew Strauss with a solid 43.11 batting average. Topping the list of England Batsmen with the best batting average is actually Jonathan Trott who has a batting average of 55 runs in his thirteen international Test Matches. Trott is actually a very mentally strong player, and could put up some important numbers Down Under, because he is aggressive off the front foot. However, the two stand out names on the list versus Australia are Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen. They have faced the Aussies plenty of times and posted good numbers where others have failed. Pietersen is a shadow of his former self at the moment, and there is no telling what England are going to get from him, or how much he is going to be used. He is not full of confidence. Captain Andrew Strauss is, and he has to be looked at here. Paul Collingwood is reliable, steady and usually good for runs, and averages 35 against the Aussies. Would go with Andrew Strauss, but one outside tip would be Ian Bell. Here is a potential match winner who has matured immensely. There is no-one in batting line up as technically sound as him, and if he gets off to a good start, could make for a great tip.
Online-Betting Tip: Andrew Strauss 4/1 at William Hill, Ian Bell 6/1 at Boylesports

Top England Bowler Betting Tip

Bookie Favourite: Graeme Swann 5/4 at BetFred
The field is a bit narrower on this one and it is no surprise that Swann is out at the shortest odds. However, an important factor to remember, is that Aussie tracks are harder and flatter, and historically visiting England spin bowlers have not had much success Down Under. However, Swann could play a vital role and he will get in amongst the wickets. Will it be enough though? Oversees bowlers have had a tougher time in Australia than any other country. You have the familiar faces of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson who will bear the brunt of the front line bowling duties and the other place in the attack will be fought out between Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan. After coming into the Test side fairly recent, one tip has to be Steven Finn. He should be well suited to the wickets in Australia, as they should be right for his style and aggression. He is the Dark Horse of the England team and a potential match winner. Could be the extra pace and bounce that give England an edge. As Broad and Anderson will do good work, but will naturally have to work a little harder for their wickets than they would in the conditions in England, we are going with the outside bet.
Online-Betting tip: Steven Finn 6/1 at 888Sport

Top England Born Series Batsman Betting Tip

Bookie Favourite: Alastair Cook 13/8 at Paddy Power
Of course this issue was going to raise its head at some point, with South African born players gracing the current England side. Andrew Strauss of course leads the way as captain, but Jonathon Trott, Matt Prior and of course Kevin Pietersen are all in the market. Opener Alastair Cook is the favourite in this market, but he is struggling for form and only has an average of 26.21 runs against Australia. Paul Collingwood however has an average of 35 runs against the Aussies and as he is priced at 2/1 makes a nice little flutter in this market.
Online-Betting Tip: Paul Collingwood 2/1 at Paddy Power

Australia v England First Test Betting Odds

Australia to win: 5/4 at William Hill
Draw: 31/30 at Bet365
England to win: 2/1 at BetFred

This is it. This is where it all begins. There’s no disguising the personal excitement here, and just as the stats of history are somewhat against England, there is some good news down the line. More on that in a moment, but the Gabba in Brisbane has not been a happy hunting ground for England, having failed to win there in the last twenty four years. This is the important Test, as what happens here really could have a major impact on the rest of the series. England need a fast start and they need to strike while the iron is hot. There is no question about that. England are the form team going into the Ashes, even though Australia still edge the favourites role in betting. If England can claim a famous victory at the Gabba, then it will set them up for a strong series because the Aussies will be even more rattled than they appear to be now. An England win in the first Test, really would heap pressure on Ricky Ponting and that could make England task a lot easier throughout the series. If they go in hard at the start, they may just catch the Aussies wanting. They need to silence the crowds. The last thing England want to be doing in Australia is trying to play catch up. They just can’t afford to do that, as Australia play their own conditions very well. If ever home advantage is a factor in a sporting event, then cricket in Australia is probably one of the main ones.

There is a little more history to overcome for England at the Gabba. Remember in the 2006/07 series when Steve Harmison bundled in and bowled the widest of wides you have probably ever seen. That was at the Gabba, and that wayward first ball set the tone for the series, as England were crushed 5-0. Australia have not lost in the last twenty matches at the Gabba, winning 16 and drawing four since 1990 (against all opposition). Worryingly, Australia average almost twice as many runs as all opposition have posted at the Gabba. England though have been warming up well this time though, winning two of their three matches. The batting looks in decent nick, and there is plenty of strength in depth, arguably more so than Australia. While the front line bowlers got to rest a bit, one has to wonder how they will cope in the unforgiving conditions on the Australian wickets. You can forget the 5-0 whitewash, as this is a different England, a more professional, and more clinical. They are also better prepared than they were before. One of the main difference between the two sides at the position of opener though. Australia have a much more consistent opening partnership flow to matches than England, with their opening partnerships average nearly 58 runs, while England’s average for an opening pair is down at 43.40. Two batsmen for England are under a lot of scrutiny. Firstly Alastair Cook looks to be the weak leak, and he hasn’t had a good year. He will get targeted hard by Australia and that is natural. The sooner Cook holds his own, the better England will be. Having a weak link at opener, really isn’t a good thing. Kevin Pietersen is the other man who is struggling. This is not the same Kevin Pietersen England fans have known and loved for so long. Apparently the Australians have brought in left arm spinner Xavier Doherty to target KP. Most of Pietersen’s major downfalls have been against left arm spin, but this could all be mind games, as Doherty he is really unproven at international level, and his first class record really is nothing to brag about. It may be a strange decision, as they have used him to replace the established Nathan Hauritz. On the Australian batting front, Michael Clarke has been passed fit to play, after they were waiting on news of his back injury.

Positively England – Reasons to be hopeful

• The Gabba is due to be overcast. You can hear the England bowlers cheering already. Why England are so strong at home is that they favour swing bowling and for that you don’t want to see clear blue skies and hot weather. You want a little humidity there, which comes from an overcast sky. So that could have a huge factor in helping England off to a flier. The Kookaburra ball stops swinging after a much shorter time than balls England will have been used to, so they need to grab every advantage they can.
• England hold a higher ranking in the ICC Test rankings than Australia (yes, true!). England are have a better win/loss ratio than Australia do in current Test Matches. Over the past two years of International play, England have won 12 and lost four matches, and Australia have won 12 and lost 6.
• Australia do not appear to have a clear upper hand in bowling. They are not even sure what their best bowling attack is at the moment. With England’s bowlers full of confidence at the moment, it really is an even playing field.
• England have turned 27 out of 86 Test half centuries into full centuries. Australia have converted 24 from 93.
• Stuart Broad is a menace to Ponting and Hussey, and Graeme Swann has had good success over Simon Katich and Marcus North.

BetFred 1st Test Special

There are two great cricket betting specials being run by BetFred for the opening Ashes Test between Australia v England. Firstly, if Paul Collingwood is England’s Top Batsman, or Michael Clarke is Australia’s Top Batsmen in the first innings of this First Test, then BetFred will refund all losing top batsmen bets as free bets! This offer is valid up to £200 and is well worth taking advantage of. Secondly, if you do have a punt on the top batsman market for the Australia v England 1st innings and your player scores a century but doesn’t finish as the top scorer, then BetFred will give you a free bet to the value of your stake, again up to £200. The hugely popular online bookmaker also offers a Free £50 bet for customers opening a new account.

England’s cricketers have left the shores of home to head down under in the defence of the Ashes. Once more will the old enemies go into battle for cricket’s most prestigious prize. Naturally the banter between the two rivals is something which always gives fans that extra sense of expectation and pride in their home country, and with the Aussies defacing the side of Big Ben, the fuses are being lit. Seeing the face of Ricky Ponting on one of England’s most famous landmarks, taunting Strauss and co to not forget to the pack the urn, may have raised a smile as publicity stunt, but the Aussie camp may get slapped on the wrist if the Westminster council decides to press charges against the illegal act. It feels like the beginning of something special, and whenever England and Australia come together for the Ashes, it generally doesn’t fail to produce something extraordinary. This is the pinnacle of English cricket, as a player and a supporter, these are the specials matches that can go down in history. Remembering history from the last time England were in Australia to contest the Ashes, won’t bring back too many fond memories, as they were hopelessly outplayed, outclassed and were sent back home with their tails between their legs after a 5-0 thrashing. That whitewash will still be tasting bitter as England walk into the hostile Aussie territories, to try and defend what they won back in the summer.

Andrew Strauss led England to a 2009 summer Ashes victory over the Aussies on home turf, but things are much more difficult in the conditions down under. Still, England are rightly confident after enjoying a busy, yet successful year at the crease and in the field. Captain Andrew Strauss is relishing the chance, relishing the pressure to deliver a big slice of humble pie to the Aussies. England have looked a fairly settled squad throughout the year, and yes, Kevin Pietersen is back in the fold. England’s most enigmatic and prodigious batsman was dropped in the summer. But he has gone away to try and work on his game, and there was never really any doubt that he would be in the Ashes squad. His experience and talent is greatly needed. He has been playing with Kwazulu Natal in South Africa to try and rediscover some form, after not making a century since last year at the top level. Naturally the Aussies are targeting Petersen (who is 4/1 at Ladbrokes to be England’s Top Batsman) as one of the weakest links in the England side, as the man who has all too often been the hero with the bat, is not looking his brilliant old self this year. But he is in the squad, and looking to piece things back together. The thing about international cricket at the moment, is that there really is no dominant team, and there is sort of an even keel about everything. It is star players with natural talent, like Kevin Pietersen, who really could swing a tight series.

The Aussies do have some advantages. Firstly of course, they will be in their own back yard, playing under their own conditions. That is a huge boon when it comes to cricket. The Australian cricket team have always been something of a powerhouse at home, and there is always a lot of expectancy from the home crowd. It is notoriously difficult to go there and pick up victories, simply because Australia play their own conditions perfectly. They know how to get the best out of the pitches, and it is a formidable task trying to break them down. However, there are chinks in the Aussie armour, which England coach Andy Flower will no doubt have noticed and will be targeting. For starters, when it comes to spin bowling, England should have a massive upper hand. They have Graeme Swann (who is 11/8 favourite at Stan James to be England’s Top Bowler) in their ranks, who is one of the best in the world. For the Aussies though it is a bit of a different story. The main question surrounding the Australian spin bowling, is how do you replace Shane Warne? How? Nathan Hauritz has pretty much taken over the task of trying to fill in the footsteps of the legendary Warne, but clearly he hasn’t come anywhere near to being the bright shiny new hope of Australian spin bowling. In fact, you can take a look at the Australian bowling as a whole and pick holes in it. It has been severely disrupted over the last year or so, and there seems to be some confusion as to what the best attacking line up is.

Secondly, the Aussies have lost their last three Test matches (including a 2-0 series defeat against India), and are ranked fifth in the world at the moment. That is one place lower than England! That is the first time ever that England have gone into an Ashes side as a team ranked higher in the world than the Aussies. Not since 1979 has England had successive success in Ashes series, so Strauss could be set to put himself in the history books. Meanwhile opposition captain Ricky Ponting is starting to come under some serious fire from critics, and although he always performs in the Ashes, he will have some extra burden on his shoulders this time around, and how much will his confidence be dented already? So, even though England may look to have the edge on paper, with only three test match wins of the last 26 played on Australian soil, you can clearly see the uphill struggle that England have. Australia are a proud nation, and even though in many respects this is something of a new era of Australian cricket, you can expect them to be hungry, fired up and ready to tear into England. After losing their last three Test Matches, you would expect them to be very angry at themselves, and should be something of a wounded beast. That is something which England have to be aware of.

England do have a lot going for them though, including a good record this year, and the leadership of coach Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss. There is a more business like feel about England, and in the Australian conditions, they need to be ruthless and aggressive. With the ball in hand, there will be a lot of responsibility on Stuart Broad (4/1 at Victor Chandler to be England’s Top Bowler) to deliver that, and the experience of James Anderson will be vital (if he is fit),a long with spinner Graeme Swann. Monty Panesar has also made the squad to some surprise. Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan will likely contest a place in the side, as Steven Finn from Middlesex, who has pretty much been fast tracked into the senior squad should get the nod ahead of them. Finn (who has actually been compared to Aussie Glenn McGrath) has displayed some excellent consistency with the ball, and England need that extra level of quality of consistency, when facing up against the Aussies on the flat batting pitches. Finn (who is 5/1 at SkyBet to be England’s Top Bowler) is not the quickest in terms of blistering place, but he gets the ball in the right place time and time again, and could be a huge factor in any England success. Behind the stumps there is some good competition between the established Matt Prior, and the exciting Steven Davies who had a good year with the senior side. With the bat, there looks to be a lot of solidity, with the likes of Strauss (who is 7/2 favourite at Totesport to be England Top Batsman), Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan and Jonathan Trott in the line up. Add to that Kevin Pietersen and opener Alastair Cook, who really needs a first class tour, England look OK there. But as the Aussie batsmen often look superlative on their own tracks, the pressure will be on the bowlers to unsettle and take huge initiative.

England Ashes Squad
James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Steven Davies, Steven Finn, Eoin Morgan, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Andrew Strauss (captain), Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, Jonathan Trott

Ashes Ante Post Betting Prices

1st Test November 25th-29th
Australia to win: Evens at Paddy Power
Draw: 3/1 at Totesport
England to win: 5/2 at SportingBet

Ashes Series Winner
Australia to win: 8/11 at Boylesports
Draw: 11/2 at 888Sport
England to win: 12/5 at Bwin

Ashes Correct Score
Australia 3-1 8/1 at Boylesports
Australia 2-1 8/1 at Ladbrokes
Draw 2-2 9/1 at Victor Chandler
England 2-1 10/1 at Totesport
Australia 3-2 11/1 at Victor Chandler

England will look to push on towards a series whitewash against Pakistan at the Oval on Thursday, as they start the Third Test full of confidence. Stan James provides great coverage on the cricket betting, where you can follow the action with live in-play betting. Cricket is great for this service, it was almost made for it. When you go to Stan James, which is a wonderfully clean and easily navigable site, you can initially earn yourself a free £25 bet on a new account. Simply open a new account and after you first bet on that new account has been settled, the online bookmaker will give you a free bet to the value of your initial stake. Just land on Stan James home page and the wealth of betting opportunities will certainly strike you. Scroll down the page to see all of the latest sporting action, with direct links to the top markets. There are also plenty of sporting promotions to take advantage of on all of the top sporting events, which makes Stan James an excellent choice for your online betting.

England captain Andrew Strauss will be happy with the way that England have dominated the visitors, who came to the UK with the potential threat of causing a lot of difficulties for the English batsmen. That simply hasn’t happened as England have raced out to a 2-0 series lead against a side who, four years ago, forfeited a match against England amid reports of ball tampering. The series, while it has been a little short of being fully competitive, has had its moment, especially in the second Test when Stuart Broad was caught up in a ball-throwing incident. Pakistan are blaming Broad for the injury to wicket keeper Haider’s finger, who has now had to return home to Pakistan. That will be more good news for England ahead of the Third Test, as into the side will come Kamran Akmal who has been under heavy criticism for the amount of dropped catches this year. He has been dropped from the side twice this year already. But, for England, captain Strauss needs to keep his players in check, and not let emotions run too wild where they become detrimental to performance. After the ball-throwing incident, Broad missed an easy run out chance because he over threw, still riled up over confrontations.

The dismal performances by Pakistan, should lead to the recall of Mohammad Yousuf, who had retired from international duty, after captaining his side through a series whitewash against Australia at the start of the year. The talismanic batsman usually scores well against England, but he will probably be a little rusty having not played much top level competitive cricket this year. He has been lured out of retirement though, as the desperate Pakistani side look for some inspiration in their batting line up. England have been tearing through the Pakistan batting with little problems, with James Anderson, Steve Finn and Stuart Broad being versatile enough in their approach to skittle the visitors out. One of the key factors as to why England has done so well, is simply because of the English conditions. Cloudy days make for good swing bowling and that is what James Anderson, and Stuart Broad to some extent have been doing so well. To some surprise, England have already come out and named their side for the Third Test, and it remains unchanged from the first two encounters.

That means that under fire opener Alastair Cook, who is desperately needing some runs as he is averaging around 14 in his seven summer test matches this year, remains in the side. It feels like the last chance saloon for the talented batsman, who has been struggling with his footwork for some time. He will never get a better chance to impress than at the Oval, which will be the best batting surface out of the Test Series. The Oval is flat, and that makes the job of the batsmen just a little bit easier, as they can read the bounce of the ball with some predictability. But if Cook fails to hit the mark again, then he could be on the verge of missing out on The Ashes series in Australia which begins at the end of the year. The good news for England, is that there is good competition for places, and the thought of missing out on the Ashes should spur Cook on, if it doesn’t mount more pressure on him. He may just be worth a shot to come through his slump at the Oval and finish as England’s top batsman. England do need some improvement in general across their batting performances, having only broken 300 in one of four innings against Pakistan. The only trouble with England’s batting, is that they are not scoring enough runs. The opportunities have been there to run up massive scores, but they haven’t delivered. When you only have one player in the top twenty batsmen in the world (Kevin Pietersen) then it could spell trouble against the top sides like Australia.

With regards to the Ashes, Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting has been quoted as saying that Australia could win the series 5-0. The Ashes start on November 25th, and Ponting has been stirring things up, recalling memories of 2006-07 when the Aussies did whitewash England in the Ashes. But the England side of today are a lot more together as a unit, and have a lot more quality and versatility within it. In a cricket side, not everyone will be functioning at the top of their game every match, but as long as there are supporting players to pick up the slack, then that is what makes a good team. With players like Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan proving invaluable to England with the bat at the moment, Andrew Strauss can rest with some certainty that probably the only thing that will stop them running up an unassailable three nil lead in the series would be complacency.

Expect the conditions at the Oval to suit the England swing bowlers. Pakistan have strength with their swing, but they look a disorganised and dare it be said, uninterested side as a whole. The visitors have been weakened further with Gul out through injury and we shall await to see just how Yousuf performs on his big return. On a whole, England are not a great side, but they are above average and they need to continue building momentum ahead of the Ashes. Pakistan have individual threats, but they just don’t look likely enough to pull everything together as a team at the moment. Therefore back another England win and look for sub-market betting to enhance potential returns.

End of day one, England were 233 all out, with Pakistan 48/1 in reply at close of play.

Revised Odds:
England to win: 6/5 at Stan James
Draw: 9/2 at Stan James
Pakistan to win: 5/4 at Stan James

England: Andrew Strauss (capt), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wkt), Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steven Finn.