Test Cricket
At Its Best
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2023 – Mon, 31 Jul 2023
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, immediately after Australia’s 1882 victory at The Oval, its first Test win on English soil.
The first test will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham and promises to be a spectacular match. The tournament end at the Oval in the end of July but who will the famous trophy this time around.
The concept of the Ashes was formed by a mock obituary in an English newspaper in the summer of 1882, but it was only the following winter in Australia that a real prize came into existence.
Australian Florence Morphy gave the small terracotta urn to England captain Ivo Bligh as a trophy and symbol of her love. The pair would eventually be married, while the two rival teams had something tangible to compete for.
Over the intervening 140 years, England and Australia have become the best of enemies. Three Lions and Baggy Greens coming together at regular intervals to measure their cricketing excellence and celebrate everything we like and dislike about each other.
It may not seem much to look at but the small urn has been the centre of a sometimes fiery rivalry between two countries from opposite sides of the world.
Outright Betting Picks and Tips:
Australia are the odds-on favourites at 10/11 after impressing in their World Test Championship final win over India at The Oval last week. But were Degens and think there’s better value available.
To Lift the Ashes:
England @6/4
At these odds we think this is a steal and well worth early money.
Top Batter:
Joe Root @10/3
Big player for England and will need to clock up them runs if there to win.
Top Team Bowler:
Aus – NM Lyon @9/4
Eng- J Anderson @12/5
So tough call for both teams, for Australia Lyon will be commanding. England we think will need experience and Anderson offers that in abundance.
Series Score Prediction:
England to win 3-2 @13/2
Many will have already wrote England off but on home soil with something to prove and maybe the best test team we’ve seen in years we think its coming home.
Team Talk:
England’s batting line-up virtually picks itself, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett to continue their fledgling opening partnership, while the tantalising arsenal of Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow will be wheeled out to, hopefully, devastating effect.
Australia look set to keep faith in David Warner at the top of the order. He was tormented by Broad in 2019, and is set to retire from cricket over the course of the next year. England fans will hope he is subjected to one final, turbulent summer ahead.
England:
Confirmed squad for 1st Test and 2nd Test.
Ben Stokes (captain), Ollie Pope (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Australia:
Confirmed squad for 1st Test and 2nd Test.
Pat Cummins (captain), Steve Smith (vice-captain), 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, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.
Best Cricket Betting Picks and Tips, Image Credit: bbcsport.com
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