AFTER one of the most comprehensive Ashes test thrashings in recent memory, the urn returns to England with the home nation rejoicing, while the the visitors are left to ponder how and why.
The fourth test at Trent Bridge was completed in just three days after England speedster Stuart Broad ripped through the Australian batting attack with career-best figures of 8-15.
Broad was so dominant with the Duke that the Englishman equalled a 68-year-old record for fewest balls to take five wickets – collecting his scalps in just 19 balls on his way to man-of-the-match honours.
Over half of the Australian batsmen failed to surpass two runs, with Mitchell Johnson the top scorer with a measly 12; leaving the Aussies with just 60 runs from the opening innings and just about out of commission for the test and the series.
Joe Root was the man who did the damage with the bat for the home side, doubling the Australian team’s first innings score with 120 runs.
Root’s total took him to 443 runs for the series and the 24-year old is now the number one ranked batsman in the world after a string of consistently good performances across the calendar year.
Broad’s haul leaves him in the box-seat to end the series with the most wickets:
Any questions that the English selectors had over Broad’s ability to step up and fill the void left by Jimmy Anderson were dissipated within an over at Trent Bridge.
Broad’s first innings bowling spell was the stuff of legend, completely taking the game away from the Australians within the blink of an eye.
Broad has taken 21 wickets for the series; with the English paceman now into $1.20 with Sportsbet to end the series with the most wickets.
Broad three scalps clear of Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc who is second favourite at $5.00
Sportsbet favours the Aussies to end the series on a high note:
The win hands England an unassailable 3-1 series stranglehold on the Ashes.
The win ended several key Ashes betting markets, with series betting and whether or not England would regain the Ashes now over due to the fact Australia cannot draw level or win the series.
After their stunning win at Lord’s, the Australians have been simply woeful, losing 10 wickets on the opening day of both the Edgbaston and the Trent Bridge test.
After getting embarrassed in consecutive tests at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge, online bookmaker Sportsbet is expecting an improved performance from the Aussies the dead rubber test at the Oval.
The Australians will be hoping England will be complacent with the Ashes wrapped up early, and Sportsbet are backing the Aussies to get the job done, with $2.25 on offer for the series to end 3-2 in favour of England.
England to win the test at The Oval and move to 4-1 in the series is $2.37 with a drawn test, leaving the series at 3-1 is the least likely option in the eyes of Sportsbet at $4.00.
Australia’s capitulation calls and end Clarke’s career:
One of the main men under the microscope – Australian captain Michael Clarke announced his retirement from the Australian test team at the conclusion of the Ashes series.
The fifth and final test, due to be played at the Oval on the 20th of August will be Clarke’s final test as an Australian test player.
Sportsbet are offering an over/under market on Clarke in his final test, with the line set at 23.5 runs for the first innings.
Where do Australia go from here?
With Australian coach Darren Lehmann confirming that Clarke will indeed play the fifth test at The Oval despite announcing his retirement, the likely consensus is that the Aussies will play the same 11 that took to the field at Trent Bridge.
For the first time in the series, Crownbet has the Australians going into a test match as the outsiders, with the Aussies paying $2.40 to win the fifth and final test.
England are paying $2.30.
Australian opener Chris Rogers, one of the only men who has performed consistently throughout this Ashes campaign still remains in contention for most runs for the series.
Rogers remains Australia’s top chance, with Sportsbet moving the 34-year old to second favourite at $2.10.
England’s number one batsmen Joe Root has been moved to favourite to amass the most runs after scoring another century at Trent Bridge, and is currently at the $1.72 quote.
Steve Smith is the man that will take over from Clarke once his tenure is completed, with a complete rebuild of Australian cricket both his and Australian coach Darren Lehmann’s first order of business.
With potentially newly appointed captain Smith, opener David Warner and off-spiner Nathan Lyon only the men that select themselves for Australia’s tour of Bangladesh in October, the Australian selectors have big decisions on the national squad for the future.
Chris Rogers is expected to continue into retirement despite an Ashes resurgence.
The news does not get much better for aging trio Adam Voges, Brad Haddin and Shane Watson – who have all potentially played their last test match at the international level.
