Ashes 2nd Test betting tips & best odds – England v Australia

Second Test Ashes predictions & best bets

England v Australia Ashes preview – Second Test

The second Test of the 2023 Ashes seres begins on Wednesday at Lord’s following Australia’s narrow two-wicket win in the first match.

The Edgbaston Test was an excellent showcase of contrasting styles of cricket. Winning the toss and batting, England got onto the front foot early as they went hard at the Aussie bowlers. Led by Joe Root’s 118 not out, the hosts surprisingly declared at 8-393 with the first day’s play not yet done.

Australia approached their innings in a much different way as they looked to wear the England bowlers down by spending time at the crease. Usman Khawaja top-scored with 141 as the Aussies – with some handy runs from the lower order – were bowled out for 386, giving England a seven-run lead going into the second innings.

For England, it was much of the same in the second innings. After an unsteady start, the English middle order took over as Root, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes each scored 40s at a rapid rate. The English tail frustrated the Australian bowlers, adding some handy extra runs before eventually being bowled out for 273.

With Australia chasing 281 to win, Khawaja anchored the innings once again, spending time at the crease and top-scoring with 63 as others fell around him. A late collapse left the responsibility to the bowlers, with Nathan Lyon coming to the crease with the Aussies still needing 54 runs to win. Captain Pat Cummins then put together the most important innings of his career, scoring 44 to guide Australia to a famous two-wicket victory.

For both sides in this one there are a lot of positives but also a lot to think about. A batter-friendly pitch allowed England to play their style and it proved largely effective with periods where they clearly got on top of the Aussie bowlers.

Having a recognised spinner in the side proved to be a real advantage for the Aussies, with Lyon taking eight wickets in the match as Moeen Ali and part-timer Root combined for only four. Sympathy can be given to Ali, who was hampered by a finger injury in his first Test since 2021.

Both sides could be pondering changes for Lord’s. England’s hyper-aggressive approach to Scott Boland might mean Mitchell Starc returns to the Australian attack, while the hosts could make a similar move by adding the raw pace of Mark Wood into the mix.

With Ali battling injury and Australia’s Cameron Green still on a limited bowling workload, both teams could also look to different all-round options. Teenage tweaker Rehan Ahmed is waiting in the wings for England, while the experienced Mitchell Marsh offers a like-for-like replacement for Green.

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Ashes Lord’s Test betting strategy – England v Australia

Less of a spin-friendly pitch is expected for this Test, so we are looking at the seam bowlers to take the most wickets in the first innings. For the Aussies, it is hard to look past captain Pat Cummins. Taking four wickets in the second innings at Edgbaston, combined with his match-winning efforts with the bat, Cummins will be full of confidence coming into this one. He looks a good bet to take the most wickets in the first innings for Australia at $3.50 with the best Ashes bookmakers.

When looking for the top Australian runscorer, vice-captain Steve Smith is the standout. Besides Usman Khawaja, the Aussie top order struggled in Birmingham, Stuart Broad proving to be a major problem. Should this continue, expect Smith to get in early and settle in. Last time at Lord’s he made 92 before being subbed out with concussion. After missing out in the first Test, expect Smith to be back to his best, top-scoring in the first innings at $3.75.

Picking a winner is tough. With the lack of scores from their two highest-ranked batsmen – Smith and Marnus Labuschagne – it appears the Aussies have a greater level of improvement if one of them can get away. On a more traditional swinging pitch the English bowlers may have an advantage, but after requests for more batter-friendly pitches, this advantage is lessened. We like the Aussies to make the series 2-0 as $2.05 favourites with Marantelli Bet.

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