England and Australia meet in the 3rd Ashes Test at Headingley on Thursday and after a dramatic 2nd Test the stage is set for another cracker.
Australia won a dramatic 1st Test in Birmingham with a 54 run 9th wicket partnership seeing them to a 2 wicket win. They then took one step closer to securing the Ashes with a 43 run victory at Lord’s on an occasion when feelings ran hot.
THE 2ND TEST
England won the toss and sent Australia into bat, but Australia guts it out early and managed to get 416 all out with Steve Smith getting 110. For the English there were 3 wickets apiece for Robinson and Tongue and Joe Root impressed with 2 for 19 in his 8 overs of spin.
England started their response strong, but lost their way to get bowled out for 325 with Duckett top scorer with 98. Mitch Starc who didn’t play in the 1st Test was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 3 for 88 in his 17 overs.
Australia failed to put the game beyond reach in their 2nd innings getting bowled out for 279 with Khawaja the mainstay of the innings scoring 77 at a strike rate of 41. Stuart Broad took 4 for 65 as all of the other bowlers chipped in with wickets.
England needed 381 for victory and when Ben Duckett went for 83 they were 177 for 5. What followed was the wicket of Jonny Bairstow which has had everyone talking on Social Media over the last few days. Bairstow thinking the over was up left his crease only for Australia wicket keeper, Carey to throw down the stumps. Bairstow was sent on his way and there were boos all around the ground as the English felt that the Australians should have called him back.
That triggered Ben Stokes who cut loose eventually going out for 155 as England fell short being bowled out for 327.
HEADINGLEY
Headingley has proved a happy hunting ground for the English in recent years and they have won their last 4 Test matches there including a 1 wicket win in 2019 when Ben Stokes saw them home with a spectacular unbeaten 135.
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BETTING
Australia are now 1/5 favourites to win the Ashes with England on offer at 17/2, the same price as the drawn Series.
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3rd Test Betting –Click here to bet
England 33/20
Draw 15/4
Australia 12/10
The betting on all 3 Test matches has been very similar with Australia shading favouritism and in the 1st two tests they justified that by going on to win the match.
Suggested Bet: Australia win at 12/10
There are two schools of thought heading into this one and one is that the Bairstow dismissal and subsequent controversy will galvanize England and see them get back into the Series. There are others though who feel that England are digging themselves into a hole and that they are ripe to receive a knockout blow from the Aussies.
I am in the latter camp and just feel that this England attack lacks a bit of a bite with a few of their bowlers getting a bit long in the tooth. I am going to back Australia to win and wrap up the Series.
Suggested Bet: First Innings Australia Top Bowler, Todd Murphy at 4/1
Murphy comes into the team for Lyon who will play no further part in the Series due to injury. He has nowhere near the experience of Lyon, but showed over in India that he can do a good job. The recent I am betting on him here is I think the English are going to target him and that in term can open up wicket taking opportunities.
Suggested Bet: Player of the Match, David Warner at 13/1
I get the feeling that Warner is running into some form and the English could be about to suffer the consequences.
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
