A flurry of bets have gone on England suffering an Ashes whitewash in Australia after the news that talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes will miss the tour. England’s best player, who was snapped up for a world record £1.7 million in this season’s IPL, is currently on bail after being arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm.
Stokes was involved in a brawl outside a Bristol nightclub, and widely circulated footage appears to show him knocking another man to the ground. He has been suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board as a result of the incident, an inevitable move that threw England’s Ashes preparations into disarray.
“If he doesn\’t come, I don\’t think they can win the Ashes,” said Aussie cricketing legend Steve Waugh. “In an ideal world you\’d want someone like a Ben Stokes who can give you the ideal balance, bat and bowl. Without Ben Stokes, we’ll win. It’s too much pressure on Stuart Broad and James Anderson, and they\’re getting a bit older, and I can’t see them playing five Test matches straight. I think Australia will win 3-1.”
Stokes is not just England’s only top all-rounder, he is the best all-rounder in the world and his absence will be keenly felt. BMR’s green-listed bookmakers agree with Waugh and a 3-1 win to Australia is the favourite in the correct score betting odds market on the five-test series. Sun Bets has the best odds, 6/1, but Bet365 has gone as low as 9/2 on that outcome. If you agree and believe England will win one, draw one and lose three, that 6/1 looks a great bet, while the majority of bookies are offering 5/1. However, punters clearly fancy a repeat of the 5-0 whitewash that England suffered Down Under in 2013/14.
In the past week, two-thirds of correct score bets have been placed on a 5-0 whitewash for Australia, and you can get 9/1 on this at Bet365, Sky Bet, Paddy Power and Betway.
England will clearly miss Stokes, but they still have plenty of talent in the likes of Broad and Anderson, while Joe Root and Alastair Cook will be really dangerous with the bat, and it is worth noting that all is far from rosy in Australian cricket right now.
This correspondent is currently Down Under and the vibe among the country’s cricket fans is full of pessimism. It stems from Australia’s poor showing in a recent ODI series in India, where they were put to the sword with ease by the hosts. But recent history is in their favour: the home team has won seven of the last eight Ashes series.
And the last time the Ashes were held in Australia it finished in that 5-0 annihilation. The 1/2 available at William Hill, Bwin, Boyle Sports and Sky Bet on an Australian victory looks a really good option right now, but optimistic patriots can get 3/1 on England with Bet365, Ladbrokes and various others. England started the summer as 11/8 so the odds have seriously drifted, and you may get an even better price if you hold off for a while.
Now that Stokes is out of the picture, Root has been made 15/8 favourite with Stan James to be named the top England batsman of the series. Former captain Cook will be a threat in this market, however, and is even more attractively priced at 11/4 with Stan James. Bet365 is offering 7/4 on Anderson finishing the series as the top England bowler and that looks a great bet. Broad will be in the mix, but Anderson can be devastating when on form and he will be crucial to England’s chances.
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