Dominant Australia odds-on for 2019 Ashes

Australia's bowlers wrapped up a 4-0 Ashes victory in Sydney and bet365 make the Aussies 4-5 to win the 2019 series in England.

With skipper Joe Root forced to retire in his second innings through illness, England slipped to defeat by an innings and 123 runs at the SCG and they are 2-1 to regain the urn at home.

Root's misfortune meant Dawid Malan ended the series as England's leading runscorer. The Middlesex man, whose tally of 383 runs was five more than Root and seven more than Alastair Cook, had been a 12-1 shot before the first Test.

Pre-series favourites James Anderson (2-1) and Steve Smith (7-4) obliged as top England wicket-taker and top Australia runscorer while 5-1 shot Pat Cummins took eight scalps in Sydney to finish as the Aussies' most successful bowler.

ASHES ROLL OF HONOUR
Top Australia runscorers
687 S Smith
445 S Marsh
441 D Warner

Top England runscorers
383 D Malan
378 J Root
376 A Cook

Top Australia wicket-takers
23 P Cummins
22 M Starc
21 J Hazlewood, N Lyon

Top England wicket-takers
17 J Anderson
11 S Broad
10 C Woakes

The 4-0 correct score had been an 8-1 chance at the start of the series and bookmakers were grateful that the fourth Test in Melbourne ended in a draw.

Bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth said: "The 5-0 Australia scoreline had opened at 22-1 and was trading at odds-on by the fourth Test so we dodged a big payout by getting all those whitewash wagers chinned in Melbourne."

England's next Test assignment is the day-night clash with New Zealand, starting on March 22 in Auckland, while the five-match one-day series against Australia begins on January 14.

Bet365 make the Aussies 4-11 to win the 50-over series with Eoin Morgan's England 2-1 outsiders.

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