England v Australia predictions and Ashes cricket betting tips

Where to watch England v Australia

Sky Sports Cricket & Main Event, 11am Wednesday

Best bets

Stuart Broad top England first-innings wicket-taker
2pts 13-5 bet365

Alex Carey to score over 20.5 first-innings runs
3pts 5-6 BoyleSports

Travis Head to score a first-innings century
1pt 15-2 Betfair, Paddy Power

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England v Australia predictions

Major League Baseball came to London last weekend, when the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals played two games at West Ham's London Stadium, but this week Bazball takes centre stage in the capital.

England, coached by New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum, face Australia in the second Ashes Test at Lord's, having lost a thrilling series opener at Edgbaston by two wickets.

Will that defeat force coach McCullum and captain Ben Stokes to rethink their ultra-aggressive approach to Test cricket? It seems unlikely – asked at Edgbaston whether there would be any change of direction for the rest of the series, McCullum replied: "We'll go a little harder."

England's rapid runscoring and funky fields certainly unsettled Australia at Edgbaston and the Aussies were trading at 8-1 in-play before ninth-wicket pair Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon put on 55 to take them to a victory target of 281.

Having weathered their first Bazball storm, the Aussies are favourites to take a 2-0 series lead at Lord's and there is scope for improvement from the tourists.

They were less impressive at Edgbaston than they had been in this month's 209-run win over India in the World Test Championship final, scraping a victory over England despite key batsmen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne scoring just 35 runs in their four innings.

Australia have an experienced and settled Test team, with left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc available to freshen up their attack, while England have left out spinner Moeen Ali and brought in Josh Tongue, who made his Test debut against Ireland at Lord's at the start of the month.

Tongue took five wickets in the second innings but an Ashes Test is a huge step up for the Worcestershire man and Stuart Broad looks a good bet to be England's top first-innings wicket-taker.

James Anderson was well short of his best at Edgbaston, where Broad, who took 5-51 against Ireland in this summer's first Lord's Test, was excellent, claiming three wickets in each innings including Smith, Labuschagne twice and, inevitably, opener David Warner.

With those three back in the hutch in the first innings, Usman Khawaja's 141 held things together for Australia and the opener received useful support from Travis Head at number five and Alex Carey at seven.

Wicketkeeper Carey is not quite in Jonny Bairstow's class with the bat but a first-innings runs line of 20.5 looks too low for a player who made 48 and 66 not out against India at The Oval and 66 and 20 in the first Test against England.

Head, player of the match in the WTC final for his first-innings 163, is worth a bet to score a century in his first dig at Lord's. He was the leading runscorer on either team in the 2021-22 Ashes, counter-attacked well for 50 at Edgbaston, and could pose a huge threat in the middle-order if the pitch flattens out.

England v Australia team news

England
The hosts have named their 11 with seamer Josh Tongue, who made his Test debut against earlier this month, replacing spinner Moeen Ali, who struggled with a finger injury during the first Test. James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson keep their places in the bowling attack with Mark Wood missing out and Joe Root operating as a frontline spinner.

Australia
The Aussies will assess the fitness of bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland as left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc is hoping for a recall.

England v Australia weather forecast

Days one, two and three are expected to be overcast, with scattered showers on day two, but there should be more sunshine on Saturday and Sunday, the last two days of the Test.

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