England now odds-on after dominating first day of second Test
Published:Jimmy Anderson was England’s hero on the first day of the second Test as the seamer took four wickets for 51 runs as the Australian top order capitulated.
It is Australia’s worst start to a Test innings in 60 years and the England bowling attack have put their side in control of a Test match they are now 4/5 to win after starting the day at 9/4.
Although Australia will take heart from England’s performance in the first Test when they were all out in their first innings for 260, 15 runs more than Australia’s total.
And the draw, available at 2/1, still looks the value in the market with Australia capable of matching England in the batting stakes.
When it comes to the bowling stakes, Australia struggled massively in the second innings of the first Test, and the inclusions of Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris are intriguing as Australia look to cope with the England top order.
Bollinger is the more experienced of the two bowlers and is available at 3/1 to take the most first innings wickets for Australia.
But Harris has proven domestically that he has the ability to take plenty of wickets and is worth a punt at 5/1 to be Australia’s top first innings wicket-taker.
England will start the second day on 1/0, and it will be down to Harris and Bollinger to take the scalps of Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott who are high in confidence after their second innings performance.
Strauss is 11/10 and Cook is 5/4 in the Ashes in-play betting market to score a first innings half century, and while Australia may not have taken advantage of an Adelaide pitch that has averaged 1213 runs in each of the last five Tests.
A £10 stake on Paul Collingwood to be England’s top first innings runscorer would return £90. New customers can sign up here for a free £10 bet.
