A Guide to Betting on The Ashes 2021/22

A Guide to The Ashes 2021/22

As noted, The Ashes is a five-match Test series. The first test will begin on 8 December 2021 in Brisbane. The second will then be in Adelaide starting on 16 December, and then the traditional Melbourne Boxing Day Test will start on 26 December. Sydney is home to the fourth Test starting 5 January 2022 and then the final is scheduled to take place at Perth’s Optus Stadium starting on 14 January 2022.

Considering that The Ashes have been contested for about 130 years, the results are incredibly balanced. There have been 314 Test matches across 67 series, with both teams having won 31 of a possible 67 matches. As such, this year’s edition is set to be particularly exciting with both countries eager to claim the top spot.

The competition follows the standard Test match format. Each of the Tests can last up to five days and the team with the most Test wins, wins the series.

The Ashes Bet Types

As with any Test series, there are two basic types of betting markets on offer. The outright markets are on the series as a whole, and these are the bets that you can begin to think about weeks or even months in advance of the first Test. The match bets are on the Individual Tests, and these you will generally place much close to the actual Test, even on the day itself or while the Test is taking place.

We have a complete Beginner’s Guide to Cricket Betting where you can learn about all the different types of bets you will typically find offered on a cricket match, and it is a fantastic place to start if you are new to cricket betting. However, here we will take you through some of the more popular bets on The Ashes.

The Ashes Outright Betting Markets

Series Result

This is the simplest type of bet and also one of the most popular. The bet gives you three options, Australia to win, England to win, or a draw. Simply pick the result that you think will happen and if you are correct then you win.

Draw no Bet

This is a less risky bet than the series result and as such, it has shorter odds. Essentially, it removes the risk of a draw. You back a team to win and if the series ends in a draw, then you get your money back.

Correct Series Score

In contrast to the last market, this one is harder to predict and as such, the odds can be very generous. Not only do you have to predict which country will win The Ashes, but you also have to predict exactly how many Test matches each of the teams will win.

Double Chance

This is another market with reduced risk and it actually gives you two chances to win. You can basically back two of the three possible outcomes. This means you can bet Australia or England to win, Australia to win or a draw, or England to win or a draw. The odds may be quite short on this market, but it can be a good one to use as a backup.

Player Prop Bets

These markets give you the chance to back your favourite players. For instance, you can bet on who the top batsman or bowler will be across the series (i.e. which will score the most runs or take the most wickets). There may be other markets on offer, so it is always worth giving them a close look.

To Regain/Retain The Ashes

As the name suggests, this is a bet on which team will be in possession of the Ashes at the end of the series. If the current Ashes holder (Australia) wins or draws the series and you have backed them, then you win. Conversely, if you back England, then they must win the series for you to win the bet.

The Ashes Match Day Betting

There are a vast number of bets available on the individual Test matches, covering every aspect of the match you can think of. As mentioned, you can refer to our cricket betting guide if you want information about all of them; however, here is a brief guide to some of the more popular betting markets.

Win Draw Win

This is like betting on the Test series result, but instead, just on a single match. You can simply bet on England to win, Australia to win, or a draw.

Highest Opening Partnership

As the name suggests, this market requires you to decide which of the teams has the best openers. You are backing them to score more than the opponent’s opening pair in each innings. To win the bet, your chosen partnership has to have scored more runs than the opponents have when the first wicket falls in each innings.

Draw No Bet

This is exactly the same as the market described above except that it applies to the Test match and not the series as a whole. This is worth considering if heavy rain is forecast, as it means that you will get your money back if there weather halts play.

Player Prop Bets

Once again, these markets are similar to those on the series but refer just to one Test. You can back players to score the most runs, take the most wickets, and so on. As the series progresses and you begin to get an idea of the players’ forms, then these markets can be a lot of fun and offer a lot of potential.

What to Watch Out for When Betting on The Ashes

All sports bettors know that research is key and there are a few things that are usually worth focusing on when it comes to The Ashes. To begin with, you need to be aware of playing conditions. For instance, if rain shortens a Test match then the ‘follow on’ target can be changed. If the series is tied going into the final Test, then you may not wish to back the current holders of the Ashes to win, as they may be happy to settle for a draw and retain the Urn.

You also need to do some research about each of the grounds that they are playing at. You can look at things such as how many days/overs recent Test matches have lasted at that ground to try to get a feel for how the ground general plays or how long the wicket generally lasts. If a match was a draw, then you can look at how many overs were bowled, meaning that you can see whether it was rain that effected the match or just a dead wicket.  You can also see if a pitch broke up on the last couple of days, if a spinner took numerous wickets, and so on. Of course, this is not an exact science, but it can give you some good insights.

The Ashes Key Statistics

• The series record for the most runs scored belongs to Australia’s Sir Donald Bradman who scored 5,028 in 27 test matches.
• Bradman also holds the Ashes centuries record; he scored an impressive 19 centuries and 12 half centuries across his career.
• Impressively, Bradman also has the batting average record of 89.78 from 37 matches and 63 innings.
• Sydney Gregory holds the Ashes record for the most ducks (dismissal with a score of zero), 11.
• Sydney Gregory also holds the record for having played in more Ashes matches than any other player; he competed in 52 Ashes matches.
• The leading wicket taker in Ashes history is Shane Warner; he took the position after taking 195 wickets in 36 games.
• Not all records belong to Australia. England’s Ian Botham has the Ashes catches record after catching the ball 54 times from 32 games.
• The Australian batsman Allan Border has captained his country 28 times in Ashes matches, another record.
• Shane Warner and his fellow bowler Glenn McGrath jointly hold the record for the most Man of the Series awards.
• Steve Smith, the former Australian captain, holds the record for most Man of the Match awards, having received six of them.
• The highest scoring partnership in Ashes history dates back to 1934 when Australians Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford scored 244 and 266 runs respectively, making a total of 500.
• The record for the biggest victory in a series was set in 1938 when England defeated Australia at The Oval by 675 runs.