Australia To Regain Ashes With Perth Victory
Australia can secure the Ashes with a victory in the third match of the series at the WACA. The Aussies have dominated the opening two contests, leaving England reeling and staring down the possibility of a whitewash.
Joe Root won the toss in Adelaide and elected to field, putting faith in his bowling attack. However, he was not rewarded as the Baggy Greens scored over 400 in their first innings. Shaun Marsh led the way with his first Ashes century, although he did receive fortune on the way to his hundred.
In response the Three Lions wilted with the bat under pressure. Alastair Cook’s struggles continued as the top of the innings, while Root failed to thrive. Craig Overton and Chris Woakes offered first-innings’ resistance to keep England in the match before Steve Smith offered a lifeline by not enforcing the follow-on.
James Anderson and Woakes responded with the ball to bowl the Aussies out for 138, leaving Root’s men with 354 runs to chase for the victory. Mark Stoneman and Cook put on 50 for the first partnership, but wickets at regular intervals eased the tension for the home side.
Root suggested that history could be in the offing with a half-century. However, England collapsed on the final morning suffering 120-run defeat.
The Three Lions have suffered eight defeats on the bounce in Perth and another would allow Australia to regain the Ashes with ease. We’ll now break down the contest using the latest betting odds.
England’s Top Batsman
Root could have put his place in history with a match-winning performance in the second innings. The 26-year-old played extremely well to reach a half-century in the circumstances. However, the issue that has plagued his recent career returned as he failed to convert his 50 into a hundred. Root failed to add to his overnight score when he was dismissed on the final morning at Adelaide, ending England’s slim hopes of victory.
The Three Lions’ captain has notched two half-centuries in the opening two matches of the series. However, his team need more from his to launch an unlikely comeback to retain the urn. The rest of the batting line-up need to ease the pressure on Root as well. Jonny Bairstow has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons thus far on the tour, but has shown some pedigree with the bat.
Bairstow has been left with the tale on too many occasions already, which should prompt his elevation up the order. The 28-year-old has made starts, notching scores of 42, 36 and 21. Bairstow has the talent to notch a big innings – therefore backing him at odds of 8.00Bet €100 to win €8007/1Bet £100 to win £800+700Bet $100 to win $8007.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$8007.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp800-0.1429Bet RM100 to win RM800 with Betway to top score at Perth provides good value.
Australia’s Top Batsman
David Warner has had a quiet series thus far bar his unbeaten 87 at Brisbane, but will be appearing one of his favourite venues. The 31-year-old has a stronger record in Australia than abroad, especially at the WACA where he has scored three centuries. Warner has enjoyed the pace and bounce of the surface, which aids his aggressive style at the crease. England have capitalised on his loose strokes, but there will not be seam movement in Perth to expose the opener.
Warner has made his two highest scores in Test cricket on the ground. He scored 253 against New Zealand in 2015, although the contest ended in a draw. The 31-year-old did score 180 in 2012 against India, which guided his side to a crushing victory. On England’s last ill-fated tour of Australia, it was Warner who put the death knell into their hopes of retaining the Ashes. He scored a blistering 112 in the second innings to take the game away from the visitors.
The opener has the same opportunity this time around – back him to top score at 3.80Bet €100 to win €38014/5Bet £100 to win £380+280Bet $100 to win $3802.80Bet HK$100 to win HK$3802.80Bet Rp100 to win Rp380-0.3571Bet RM100 to win RM380 with Betway.
England’s Top Bowler
Broad has not been firing for England on tour as of yet. He’s claimed five wickets, but has gone wicketless in the second innings at Brisbane and again at Adelaide. At his best, the 30-year-old has run through the Australian batting unit, but he has not been able to find his form down under.
The Three Lions need him to make an impact at Perth to use his pace and bounce to unsettle the Aussie batsmen. Broad has played only one match at the ground and bowled in just one innings due to injury.
He took three wickets in his spell at the WACA, but was smacked around for 100 runs in the process. Root cannot afford to have his senior seamers lose control in the same fashion this time around. England have managed to restrict the flow of runs from Australia, only for their lack of potency to blight their attempts to make deeper inroads.
Broad has performed magic in the past – none more so than his 8-15 against the Aussies to win the series in England two years ago. The Three Lions need a similar outing to get back into the contest. Back Broad to lead the charge at 3.80Bet €100 to win €38014/5Bet £100 to win £380+280Bet $100 to win $3802.80Bet HK$100 to win HK$3802.80Bet Rp100 to win Rp380-0.3571Bet RM100 to win RM380 with Betway.
Australia’s Top Bowler
Although Mitchell Starc took five wickets to wrap up the England second innings at Adelaide, the plaudits should be handed to Pat Cummins for his display in the contest. The 25-year-old played his role with the bat scoring 44 in the first innings to take his side over the 400-run mark. Cummins took two wickets in England’s first innings, including the vital strike of Root for nine while also dismissing Dawid Malan.
The pace bowler only took one wicket in the second innings, but it was a vital one. With Root and Malan well set, Cummins removed the Malan with a fine delivery to end the day. The wicket was similar to that of Stephen Harmison’s strike of Michael Clarke in the 2005 series at Edgbaston, swinging the momentum back in Australia’s favour.
Cummins has troubled the England batsmen with his pace and will have the opportunity to take advantage of the bouncy Perth wicket to cause problems. Back him at odds of 4.00Bet €100 to win €4003/1Bet £100 to win £400+300Bet $100 to win $4003.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$4003.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp400-0.3333Bet RM100 to win RM400 with Betway to lead the wicket column for the Baggy Greens.
Winner
England are on the ropes and have been embroiled in distraction after distraction off-the-field. Their record at Perth is atrocious, having lost their last eight matches at the ground. Australia are on a high and are well equipped to put the Three Lions under pressure again using their pace bowlers. Back Smith’s men to close out the series at odds of 1.52Bet €100 to win €15213/25Bet £100 to win £152-192Bet $100 to win $1520.52Bet HK$100 to win HK$152-1.92Bet Rp100 to win Rp1520.5200Bet RM100 to win RM152 with 888Sport.
Tips Summary
Australia To Beat England 3rd Test
December 14th – December 18th 2017
Odds: 1.52Bet €100 to win €15213/25Bet £100 to win £152-192Bet $100 to win $1520.52Bet HK$100 to win HK$152-1.92Bet Rp100 to win Rp1520.5200Bet RM100 to win RM152
David Warner To Be Australia’s Top Batsman
December 14th – December 18th 2017
Odds: 3.80Bet €100 to win €38014/5Bet £100 to win £380+280Bet $100 to win $3802.80Bet HK$100 to win HK$3802.80Bet Rp100 to win Rp380-0.3571Bet RM100 to win RM380
Jonny Bairstow To Be England’s Top Batsman
December 14th – December 18th 2017
Odds: 8.00Bet €100 to win €8007/1Bet £100 to win £800+700Bet $100 to win $8007.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$8007.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp800-0.1429Bet RM100 to win RM800
Pat Cummins To Be Australia’s Top Bowler
December 14th – December 18th 2017
Odds: 4.00Bet €100 to win €4003/1Bet £100 to win £400+300Bet $100 to win $4003.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$4003.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp400-0.3333Bet RM100 to win RM400
Stuart Broad To Be England’s Top Bowler
December 14th – December 18th 2017
Odds: 3.80Bet €100 to win €38014/5Bet £100 to win £380+280Bet $100 to win $3802.80Bet HK$100 to win HK$3802.80Bet Rp100 to win Rp380-0.3571Bet RM100 to win RM380
- ashes
- Australia
- England
- Joe Root
- Steve Smith