The Ashes Outright Odds: England Up Against It After First Test Defeat

England have drifted to 5/1 to win The Ashes after losing the First Test in agonising fashion.

In a commanding position after gaining a first innings lead, the tourists threw the match away with a string of rash shots from the middle order.

What followed was a spectacular onslaught from Travis Head, scoring one of the fastest centuries in Ashes history. England hadn’t been able to extend the match sufficiently to bat when the pitch was at its flattest and instead faced a heavy defeat a matter of hours after being in complete control.

The analysis since the Test ended inside two days has been brutal. England have chosen not to send any of their XI to Canberra to play in a pink-ball match and will instead take the 11-day gap to recuperate and work in the nets. It’s a decision that has been widely criticised already, though some have noted how different Canberra’s pitches are compared to the Gabba.

Australia are in to 2/9 to win the series and 4/1 to win 5-0. Per William Hill’s latest cricket betting odds, a 4-1 win for Australia is the most likely outcome at 3/1. The series being drawn 2-2 has moved out to 10/1 with Aussie skipper Pat Cummins expected to return for the Second Test.

Top Bowler Markets

Mitchell Starc is odds-on to be the series’ top bowler after his 10-wicket haul in Perth. Ben Stokes, who took five wickets in the first innings, has the shortest odds of any England bowler at 7/1.

It’s very unlikely Jofra Archer or Mark Wood play all five Tests, which means they are not worth backing to be the top bowler. Brydon Carse, meanwhile, can be a workhorse for England, but he’s already at a deficit to Stokes, who will play all five if fit.

Nathan Lyon suffered a minor injury when batting and had little to do with the ball on a seamer-friendly surface. The off-spinner could be left out of the pink-ball Test. It’s hard to see how he bowls enough overs to compete in these markets unless there’s a drastic change of strategy from Australia.

Another strong candidate to play all five matches, Gus Atkinson is worth a wager at 22/1 to be the series’ top bowler. Atkinson bowled superbly in the first innings in Perth and will be taking the new ball for the remainder of the series.

Top Run Scorer Markets

Head is the favourite to be the series’ top run scorer after his blistering century on Saturday. There’s no guarantee Head will score another ton in this series, however, particularly if he remains an opener.

Harry Brook at 5/1 is intriguing. He has a phenomenal Test record, particularly away from home, and looked completely at ease with Australian conditions in the first innings. Brook is capable of going big, as we’ve seen throughout his career, and can be very hard to slow down once he gets going.

In-form Marnus Labuschagne is a decent bet at 4/1 to be Australia’s top scorer. He battled in the first innings and played an impressive cameo next to Head in the second dig.

After a pair in Perth, this might be the best opportunity to back Zak Crawley to be England’s top scorer (14/1) if you’re an England-supporting optimist. Crawley excelled against Australia in 2023 and might have a series-altering knock in him.

*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*