England v Australia: Ashes Test series special bets, predictions and tips

TV: Sky Sports Cricket & Main Event, from 11am Thursday

It's not been a bad month for England’s understated hero Chris Woakes, who took 3-20 against Australia in the World Cup semi-final, picked up three more wickets in the final against New Zealand, and then claimed 6-17 in last week’s Test win over Ireland at Lord’s.

Woakes has developed into a marvellous all-format cricketer for England and he should have a major part to play in the Ashes given the fitness doubts over James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.

The series starts at Woakes’s home ground Edgbaston while the second Test is at Lord’s, where he has an astonishing record of 24 wickets in four games at an average of just 9.75.

Chris Woakes’s Test record
In England 60 wickets in 15 Tests at an average of 21.85
Outside England 18 wickets in 12 Tests at an average of 61.77

Woakes poses an enormous threat in English conditions and bet365’s series wickets line of 15.5 looks too low.

He took 12 scalps in only three Tests against Pakistan and India last summer and dismissed gun Aussie batsmen David Warner and Steve Smith at the World Cup.

The market on which venue will produce the most match runs is always intriguing and it may be worth having a small interest in the outsider of the five, Old Trafford.

Other than the rain-affected semi-final between India and New Zealand, the World Cup matches in Manchester were played on solid batting tracks and England’s 397-6 against Afghanistan was the highest total of the tournament.

Lancashire declared on 494-6 in their County Championship win over Sussex this month while the last four Tests at the venue included big scores for Australia (527-7 declared in 2013) and England, who racked up 589-8 declared against Pakistan in 2016 with Joe Root making a career-best 254.

Recommendations
C Woakes to take 16 or more series wickets
3pts 10-11 bet365
Old Trafford to host highest-scoring match
1pt 7-1 Sky Bet

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport