The 1st of 5 Ashes Test matches will take place at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday and we take a look at the match and the series from a betting angle.
Let’s dive straight into the series betting where Australia are trading as 1/1 favourites with England at 15/10 and the drawn Series priced at 6/1.
Australia to win 3-2 is the joint 13/2 favourite with the 2-2 draw in the Series Correct Score Market and there are a number of other Series Markets on offer.
Click here to bet on the Series Outright Market
Click here to bet on the Series Correct Score
SQUADS
England: Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Moeen Ali
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
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ENGLAND
England warmed up for this Ashes Series with a comfortable 10 wicket win over Ireland this month. Prior to that they drew 1-1 in New Zealand earlier in the year, a disappointing result given they had won the 1st Test by 267 runs only to lose the 2nd by just a run.
Their last home Series took place in 2022 when they came from behind to beat the Proteas when they lost the 1st Test before winning the next 2 to take the Series.
AUSTRALIA
Australia are coming off an emphatic victory against India at the Oval, a result which saw them crowned World Test Champions. They batted first and scored 469 with Head and Smith both getting centuries and they then bowled India out for 296 with Pat Cummins picking up 3 sticks. Australia declared their 2nd innings at 270 for 8 with Carey and Starc amongst the runs before bowling India out for 234 with Nathan Lyon the destroyer-in-chief with 4 wickets.
Australia did go down 2-1 away to India earlier in the year.
ASHES HEAD-TO-HEAD
In 2021/22 England were no match for Australia and went down 4-0 in the 5 match Series. Australia haven’t won a Test Series in England for 22 years and when England last hosted the Ashes in 2019 the teams played out a 2-2 draw which was enough for Australia to retain the urn having hammered England 4-0 at home back in 2017/18.
EDGBASTON
Edgbaston was last used as a Test venue back in July 2022 where England came from behind to win by 7 wickets despite conceding over 400 in the 1st innings. Joe Root led the run chase of 373 with 142 runs and Bairstow also contributed with a century.
1ST TEST BETTING
Australia 1/1, England 15/10, the Draw 6/1
BETTING – Click here to bet
England 29/20
Draw 4/1
Australia 12/10
I think we should be in for a very exciting Series, but the fact that Australia has had the higher intensity build up gets them the nod to win the 1st Test.
Suggested Bet: Australia Win at 12/10
I fancy Scott Boland to go well for the visitors in English conditions and will take him at 5/2 to be the leading Australian wicket taker in the 1st innings.
Suggested Bet: 1st Innings Australia Top Bowler, Scott Boland at 5/2
For England, Harry Brook is showing himself to be a top Test Match player and I fancy him as top England run scorer in the 1st innings.
Suggested Bet: 1st Innings England Top Batter, Harry Brook at 16/5
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
