The Ashes: English Bats, Aussie Balls
December 3rd, 2013 by G WaldorfThe Gabba Test was all about Midge. Few would deny that Brad Haddin’s knock to turn the Test in Australia’s favour was the work of a true competitor. And Michael Clarke’s ton in the second innings did more than put the hosts in a position to win the series opener – there were more than a few nerves settled by the sight of the Aussie skipper in the runs again. But it was the hostile pace of Mitchell Johnson that rightly grabbed the headlines, and that scorched through the tourists’ batting line-up. Which leaves us, as we approach the second Test, with an intriguing battle of bat against ball: and it will be Aussie balls that fans will be counting on to win the second Test…
So let’s take a look at the bets going right now at Sportsbet, and the markets that are on offer for Aussie bowlers and English batsmen. It seems fair to start with Johnson, who’s the favourite to be Australia’s leading wicket at $3.00. The Gabba performance wasn’t all about Johnson, though, and there might be a case on an Adelaide pitch for either Siddle or Harris taking the lion’s share. Siddle is a $3.75 bet, while you’ll get $3.50 for Harris, who looked dangerous at the Gabba. And don’t forget Nathan Lyon, who wheeled away in Brisbane, and whose part in piling on the pressure shouldn’t be underestimated – he’s a $6.00 bet to take the most wickets.
And will the English crumble again? With Trott back in the UK getting himself better, you’d have to say that there’s some steel missing at the top, but there are some great players in this English side, and you have to expect that they’ll have their say at some point during the series. Look for Alistair Cook as top runscorer at $4.00, of course, and KP is always a possibility at $4.50, but we reckon that Ian Bell might be the best value at $5.00 to be the Englishman with the most runs against his name come the end of the second Test.
Of course, if you want any more cricket info, you can get all your latest Ashes odds by following the link…
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