England In Control After First Ashes Test Part 1

It turned out to be a much closer affair than many of us had previously expected but the 2013 Ashes series got off to a very exciting start as one of the best test fixtures in a long time unfolded during Sunday afternoon at Trent Bridge. With just a small margin of a doze or so runs proving to be the difference, England were able to secure victory via a DRS decision with Brad Haddin taking the slightest of edges against man of the match Jimmy Anderson. 

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There was a lot to like about the way both teams played and you reckon that the Aussies will definitely feel as though the match was theirs to win. Haddin’s reaction after being given out (with the third umpire over-ruling the on-field official) said it all in the grand scheme of things. 

While the Australians likely helped their cause of attempting to win the next test, which happens at Lord’s on Thursday, the English have tilted the odds ever more in their favour to retain the Ashes trophy itself. 

England were hovering around a price of 1/3 to retain the Ashes prior to the first test and now they have been clipped into 1/6. This is especially impressive because it’s on a three-way wager. A drawn series can be backed at 8/1 while Australia to win the Ashes outright also trades at 8/1. 

The way things look right now, the bookmakers clearly favour England winning the Ashes by a 3-1 margin. It’s the shortest-priced correct score and you can back that at a 4/1 listing. This would involve one test being declared a draw and that would certainly be within the realm of asking now that Australia have completely proven that they can give England a game.