Off the back of a vital win at Headingley, England will once again need to find victory to level the scores as the series heads to Manchester’s Old Trafford. In preparation for this morning’s opening session, you will find a comprehensive fourth Test preview along with a handful of our very own Ashes tips and predictions.
Ashes Tips – Fourth Test Predictions & Best Bets
Ashes Tip 1 – Pat Cummins Over 2.5 Wickets 1st Innings
Despite England rallying a raucous Headingley crowd to give themselves a chance of levelling up the series, Australia will fancy their chances of retaining the Ashes from here.
The hosts will undoubtedly be buoyed by a dazzling display in Leeds where the welcomed additions of Mark Wood and a fully fit Moeen Ali pushed them over the line.
Australia will more than likely deploy the pacey short ball tactic that has earned them far too many simple wickets from an English perspective, and a sneak-peek look at the Old Trafford crease suggests at least some grass remains.
This is good news for the returning Jimmy Anderson, who was frustrated by the flat wickets at Edgbaston and Lord’s which subsequently saw him left out in the third Test.
However, we prefer to focus on Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, who has shouldered an immense amount of work so far this series. Particularly without the presence of spinner Nathan Lyons, their bowling attack looked somewhat stretched as England ran away with the third Test last time out, but Cummins remained their most potent weapon.
He will be rivalling Stuart Broad (16) on the most wickets taken throughout the series and sits just one behind him on the overall charts. In the first innings at Headingley, he took six wickets and we are backing him to try push his side over the line by taking at least three here.
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Ashes Tip 2 – Mark Wood England’s Top Wicket Taker 1st Innings
We picked this exact selection out in the third Test and Mark Wood certainly didn’t disappoint.
The return of the fastest bowler across the series wrecked havoc on Australia’s lower end in Leeds, with a 96.5mph hit wicket to remove Mitchell Starc from proceedings the pick of the bunch.
England have once again opted for a bowling-heavy balance with a strong seam attack, and Australia’s top and lower order struggled to impose themselves last time out, leaving five and six – Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh – to rack up the most runs across both innings.
Wood’s blistering five-wicket spell off just 11.4 overs is enough evidence for us to back him again.
Ashes Tip 3 – Ben Stokes to Hit a Half Century in 1st Innings
With the 2-1 scoreboard setting up a beautiful storyline for this third Test, you can almost guarantee another blockbuster moment from England captain Ben Stokes.
With so much on the line, Stokes continues to deliver for his team. A persistent injury to his left knee has threatened to de-rail his consistency in the crease, but more often than not he has been seen limping and grimacing his way to the opposite stump as his strike sails towards, or over the boundary.
Having hit 80 off 108 balls in the first innings last time out, off the back of a staggering 155 at Lord’s to very nearly snatch the second Test from the jaws of Australia, it would seem foolish to bet against him.
Stokes also averages 52.80 in Test matches at Old Trafford, and at 5/2 we think this looks to be excellent value.
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