Stan James Ashes Series Betting and The Third Test

To Win The SeriesAustralia 4/6England 85/40Drawn Series 9/2To Win The Third Test Australia 5/4Draw 11/5England 2/1(Prices subject to change from Stan James) We had the prayer mats out last Sunday morning because we knew the whole Ashes Series was in the balance. We survived and now England winning The Ashes is back on the agenda. England in fact now go into the Third Test of the five test series with the momentum and some would argue also with the upper hand. So punters have three choices. That's the easy part, the difficult part is which one?.. EnglandFirstly, England need to bat better than they have done if they have any pretensions to winning the Third Test. It's crucial that they learn from their mistakes in the first two Tests and shore up their defences. Vaughan himself will be under no illusions about the importance of this. He needs to take responsibility with the bat and Ian Bell also needs to make an impact. But there is enough strength there. They just need to knuckle down and build defensively. The bowling so far has been the saving grace for England and the vibes are that Old Trafford will suit the reverse swing that English bowlers like. Matthew Hoggard needs to up his game a bit, but the others have shown enough to worry the Aussies. Ashley Giles could have a big say in this match. Finally, Freddie has thrown down the gauntlet to the Aussies and he'll be a key player on his home patch. He's a match winner and they know it. Top England BatsmanPietersen 7/2Strauss 4/1Trescothick 4/1Vaughan 9/2Bell 7/1Flintoff 7/1 AustraliaThe Aussies will not lie down. Don't lull yourself into believing for one moment that they will be overawed by the crowd or a rejuvenated England, They have been there, seen it and done it and this is exactly the situation they have been in many times before and they know how to deal with it. In fact the Aussies will be relishing it. This is what they love. Write them off at your peril??All said and done though, our Antipodean brethren could be vin a little bit of trouble. Glenn McGrath is still out injured and Brett Lee has now gone sick with a twisted knee. If Lee doesn't make it on Thursday then psychologically the pendulum swings towards England. Without these two the Aussies will be missing a formidable bowling partnership. They have drafted in Stuart Clark as cover, plus they also have Shaun Tait to call on should he be needed. It is however a huge blow to be without McGrath and Lee. Their saving grace could be the Old Trafford wicket. Traditionally it is the quickest wicket, but it is also a wicket that turns. Cue Shane Warne. The Aussies still have a weapon in their armoury. At times he can be the biggest, meanest piece of cricketing artillery you can have. If Warne gets going then he could single handedly destroy England. It also seems likely that he'll have a foil in Stuart MacGill. All the vibes are that if Lee doesn't make it, then they'll opt to pick another spinner in MacGill. This will be all well and good if the wicket does turn, but if it doesn't, and Old Trafford wickets this season have seen very little turn so far, then the omission of a quicker bowler to accommodate MacGill could backfire. The Australian batting line up is as strong as ever and remains in tact, although it will be a little battered and bruised after Edgbaston. The flat wicket in Manchester will suit them and there is the distinct possibility of the first Ashes century this week. Top Aussie BatsmanLanger 4/1Martyn 4/1Ponting 9/2Hayden 5/1Clarke 5/1Katich 7/1Gilchrist 8/1 The DrawTwo things could happen to achieve the draw. Firstly the weather could intervene and shorten the action, or secondly we could see two big first innings totals which will leave victory impossible for either side. Old Trafford produces the type of wicket that can reward batsmen, but it can also be a turning wicket, which helps the spinners. The weather forecast suggests the chance of showers on Thursday, but Friday and Saturday are set for fair weather. Sunday and Monday are forecast to be a bit showery. So the weather could play a part but maybe not a significant one. The possibility of run scoring is very much on the agenda. The two skippers will be focussing their efforts on getting their batsmen to stay in, and there is no better wicket than Old Trafford to build a big innings. If they knuckle down to the task, we could see a few big totals, making the draw a likely scenario.Without doubt, it'll be a riveting Third Test and the whole country is licking their collective lips in anticipation. Expect fireworks. Stan James have a host of markets on the match and some interesting specials. Good Luck