The pressure will be on England as the third Ashes test gets underway at Headingley on Thursday, July 6. England are on the verge of losing the series outright after defeats in each of the opening two matches, while Australia could win an Ashes series on English soil for the first time in over 20 years. England must claim victory in the third test to keep any hopes of a memorable comeback alive.
Ashes 3rd Test Odds
England face an uphill struggle to regain the Ashes this summer, and the series could come to an end if the odds are to be believed in Leeds. Australia are the commanding 11/10 favorites to secure a third straight victory, with the hosts priced up at 16/10. The draw is available at 4/1, which could be a likely result with showers expected on Sunday and Monday.
Top Batsman
The second test was all about the brilliance of Ben Stokes with the bat, but the England captain was ultimately unable to score the runs required to chase down the Australian target. Stokes is 13/2 to be the highest scoring batsman for England in the third test, with Joe Root the favoured option at 26/10.
Ben Duckett was another of the standout performers with the bat for England at Lord’s, and he is a 4/1 chance to end as the host’s highest run scorer. Steve Smith leads the betting to be Australia’s highest run scorer at 5/2, with first test hero Khawaja available at 4/1.
Top Bowler
Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc both took three wickets apiece in the second test, and both stars are among the favourites to lead the team in terms of wickets in the third. Cummins is the favoured selection in the betting at BetXchange at 21/10, with Starc available at 5/2. There will likely be pressure on both players following the news that the Aussies will be without Nathan Lyons for the remainder of the series.
Stuart Broad has been a standout player with the ball for England throughout the series to this point, and he took four wickets in Australia’s second innings at Lord’s. Broad is the favoured option to lead the England bowlers at Headingley at 26/10. Ollie Robinson is the second choice at 26/10, while Mark Wood could make his first appearance in the series with a strong showing, according to the odds, as he is available at 26/10.
Who Will Win The Ashes 3rd Test?
All the pressure will be on England in the third test, as only a victory will keep alive their hopes of potentially regaining the Ashes this summer. Australia could wrap up a memorable series win on English soil with victory in Leeds. England were excellent in the previous clash between the sides at Headingley, as Ben Stokes led the hosts to a dramatic victory in unlikely circumstances. A repeat will be needed in Leeds once again this year.
England have been the better team in large periods throughout the series, but they need to be strong across all five days against this dominant Australian side. But, we could see England’s dreams being reignited in Leeds with a huge victory.
