Ashes Second Test Tips: 3 Best Bets for Brisbane
A rather humiliating defeat in Perth has left England heading to the day/night Second Test in Brisbane needing a win to level the series.
Losing inside two days, there were plenty of plaudits for their bowling in the first innings but two batting collapses have led to the questioning of ‘Bazball’ once more.
Ben Stokes needs to rally his side as defeat here would leave them with a mountain to climb in the five-match series.
Here, we look at the Second Ashes Test and pick out three of the best bets for the clash in Brisbane.
Tip 1 – Harry Brook top England run scorer in first innings @ 13/4
After the calamity of the First Test, England simply have to do better with the bat.
Falling to 172 and 164 all out in Perth, Harry Brook was the sole English batsman to make a half-century across both innings.
His 52 in the first innings helped make sure the touring side actually had a first innings lead, before another spectacular batting collapse handed victory to Australia.
He’s yet to score a century against Australia but his five half-centuries in 11 innings are a reasonable return, even if his average of 37.72 is considerably lower than his career average of 56.31.
A half-century, if England continue to play in the same way, may well be enough for Brook to top score again.
The 13/4 for Brook to top score in England’s first innings is a strong shout for a man with seven centuries in 12 Test matches outside of England.
Tip 2 – Mitchell Starc to take over 2.5 wickets in first innings @ 13/20
Mitchell Starc was sensational for Australia in the First Test, taking 10 wickets overall, including a stunning seven-wicket haul in the first innings.
No Australian bowler had taken 10 wickets in an Ashes match since Shane Warne in 2005.
In the absence of Josh Hazelwood and Pat Cummins, Starc stepped up for his country, taking 7/58 as England were skittled for 172.
He will be expected to lead the attack for the Aussies once more and England will not relish facing him after his heroics two weeks ago.
Starc’s 107 wickets against England are by far his best tally against another nation and he will be eyeing up adding to his five five-wicket hauls in the day/night Test in Brisbane.
He’s 13/20 to take over 2.5 wickets in the first innings and, although short odds, that looks a steal given how good Starc looks currently.
Tip 3 – Over 11.5 sixes in the match @ 5/6
‘Bazball’ is under the microscope once more after some poor dismissals in Perth led to a rather humbling defeat for Stokes and Brendan McCullum.
England’s attacking batting has brought them many rewards and there is no indication that their approach will be different for the second Test – though surely they need to bat for longer.
Their way of batting does bring around plenty of boundaries amongst the tumbling wickets, and the Australians are not short of attacking batting either.
Travis Head’s match-winning 126 came off just 83 balls and included 20 boundaries – four of which were sixes.
It’s to the sixes market we’re heading for our final pick. We like the look of 11/10 for over 11.5 sixes in the match.
There were 10 in the first test but England batted for less than 70 overs in the whole game.
Though ‘Bazball’ will stay, some slightly more measured batting would benefit England – and those with tickets for day three – but their explosive exploits could well lead to plenty of maximums.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
