England v Australia fifth Ashes Test predictions and cricket betting tips

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Sky Sports Cricket, 11am Thursday

Best bets

England
2pts 11-8 Hills

Moeen Ali over 21.5 first-innings runs
3pts 5-6 Betfair, Paddy Power

Mitchell Marsh top Australia first-innings runscorer
1pt 6-1 general

England v Australia fifth Test predictions

A final-day washout in the fourth Test at Old Trafford means England can no longer win the Ashes series against Australia but they are worth backing to salvage a well-deserved 2-2 draw at The Oval.

More rain is forecast for the fifth Test although it should not be as torrential as the downpours in Manchester, where England still managed to put themselves in a winning position before the weather ruined the final two days of the match.

They have named an unchanged team for the series finale, with vastly experienced bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad lining up alongside Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, who played key roles in England's fightback after losing the first two Tests.

Wood and Woakes helped the hosts win the third game at Headingley and Australia were on the back foot for most of the fourth Test after limping to an under-par first-innings total of 317.

That batting effort was swiftly overshadowed by England's 592, built around Zak Crawley's 189 off 182 balls. Joe Root's 84 was characteristically classy and the fact that six of England's top seven reached 50 means they arrive at The Oval in good heart despite their 2-1 deficit.

Crawley started the assault on Australia's bowlers and Jonny Bairstow compounded their pain with an unbeaten 99 at the end of the innings as the Aussies, clearly missing the steadying influence of injured spinner Nathan Lyon, endured a chastening 107.4 overs in the field.

Australia started their English summer at The Oval, beating India impressively in the World Test Championship final, but skipper Pat Cummins, who took 1-129 from just 23 overs at Old Trafford, may struggle to sign off with another victory in south London.

The visiting batsmen have struggled to convert starts and still look unconvincing against the short ball while Lyon's injury and the modest impact of all-rounder Cameron Green have affected the balance of the side.

England beat the Aussies by 135 runs in the final Test of the 2019 Ashes at The Oval to clinch a 2-2 draw and, after trouncing South Africa by nine wickets at the venue last summer, they can claim a share of the spoils again.

Moeen's promotion to number three at Old Trafford raised eyebrows but he batted with assurance after Ben Duckett was dismissed in the third over. His 54 off 82 balls was a well-constructed innings from a man with five Test centuries and it took a smart catch from Usman Khawaja to get rid of him in Manchester so a first-innings runs line of 21.5 looks too low at The Oval.

Australia are monitoring the fitness of Mitchell Marsh after his efforts in the third Test. However, even if the all-rounder is unable to bowl his usual quota of overs, he has a strong claim to be included as a specialist batsman after scores of 118 and 28 at Headingley and 51 and 31 not out at Old Trafford.

Marsh's attacking prowess is no secret and he cracked 17 fours and four sixes in a superb counter-attacking century in Leeds. His defensive technique looks in good order too and he is a big price to top-score in the first innings, having helped Marnus Labuschagne hold off England's bowlers until the rain came to Australia's rescue on day four in Manchester.

Team news

England
The hosts have named the same 11 who played at Old Trafford so James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes make up the pace attack and Moeen Ali will bat at number three.

Australia
Fast bowler Mitchell Starc (shoulder) will be assessed and Mitchell Marsh was unable to bowl on day three at Old Trafford due to soreness. Spinner Todd Murphy could replace all-rounder Cameron Green while Michael Neser is also hoping for an opportunity.

Weather forecast

Showers could cause minor delays on days one and three but days two and four should be clear. Heavy rain is expected on the fifth day with temperatures ranging from 19C to 23C during the Test.

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