Clarke value to be top runscorer in the series

The first ever Ashes Test at Durham gets underway Friday with bookmakers making England the 11/10 (GENERAL) favourites for the game. England have played four Tests previously at this ground winning them all comfortably. Three of them they won by at least an innings and the other one by seven wickets. That being said though the standard of the opposition was not the highest with two of these wins coming against the West Indies, one against Zimbabwe and the other against Bangladesh.

The Australians can take heart from the way they play in the third Test and will be looking to stop the series ending in a whitewash. If you think they can land the victory then you can back them at 10/3 (SKYBET/sportingbet/ladbrokes). Australia have won three of the last five fourth Tests between the duo and they might be a shade of value here.

The Chester-le-Street ground is not known for high scores with the highest total in country cricket this season being 339. The weather is set fair for three of the five days with showers possible on day three and day four. The draw then is an unlikely runner at 11/5 (STAN JAMES/SPREADEX) although we did think that about the Old Trafford test.

I think it is a hard test to predict as it is a ground with little Test history and no previous Ashes meetings. Throw in the fact that it is hard to know how the Ashes being settled will impact on both sides mentally and my advice then is to look to other markets.

Michael Clarke is the 10/3 (STAN JAMES) favourite to be the top Australian batsman following an excellent 187 in the first innings in the fourth test at Old Trafford. Clarke is not only the best batsman in this team but the best batsman in the series and quite possibly the world (although Amla is the number one ranked). It would seem crazy to take on Clarke to be top Australian batsman then. In addition take the 7/4 (STAN JAMES/ladbrokes) on him to finish as top batsman in the series as he sits just 60 runs behind Ian Bell.

LADBROKES are refunding bets on top England batsman if Kevin Pietersen is the top first innings scorer which looks a decent deal as Pietersen was in excellent form with his 113 in the first innings. Alastair Cook has had a torrid time with the bat so far in the series and will hope a return to Chester-Le-Street will serve him well where last time out he hit 160 from 339 balls against the West Indies in 2009. The captain is a 4/1 (GENERAL) chance as is Trott and Pietersen.

James Anderson is the 2/1 (SKYBET/CORAL) favourite to be top England bowler on a pitch where he took nine wickets across two innings against the West Indies in the last Test in 2009. Keep an eye on team-news though as Graham Onions will obviously be a huge threat on his home ground if he was to be selected..

For Australia it has always been a straight battle between Siddle and Harris for the wickets though Jackson Bird might be worth taking this time out if he gets selcted. He has been called the Graham Onions of Australia and his bowling should be well suited to the ground. Bird can be backed at 4/1 (GENERAL).

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: Michael Clarke top Series batsman, 7/4 (STAN JAMES/ladbrokes)
SILVER: Michael Clarke top runscorer Australia, 4th Test, 10/3 (STAN JAMES)
BRONZE: Jackson Bird top Australia bowler 4th Test, 4/1 (GENERAL)

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09/08/2013     © Frixo 2026