The Ashes - Top Batsman

With both sets of bowling attacks so tightly balance, the batting may be where this Ashes is decided this year and as we’ve examined in our series preview, England would seem to hold the major advantage in this area.

Much of the series, for many, depends upon the performance of Michael Clarke – who has undergone nothing short of a total transformation since taking the captaincy despite his impressive record beforehand – as the leader of the battling lineup.

The world’s best batsman during 2012 - he scored 1595 Test runs (including four double centuries) at an average of 106 – Clarke became the first Australian person to be named Cricketer of the year by Wisden since Shane Warne in 2004 and has turned around an Australia side with destroyed morale after their 3-1 defeat at home, taking his test average through the 50 mark. Averaging 48 in England, if he stays fit through the series he could well be the turning point but he’s hard to back at such a short price for Australian honours with such injury issues and he would make more appeal at 6/1 for top combined batsman rather than the 9/4 to top the charts for the baggy greens.

In any case, the completion behind him brings some interesting competition. Shane Watson is general deemed to be the second most talented batsman in the Australian side, but his one day style bings as much danger of failure as it does success and nowhere does that bring more danger than against some of the world’s best swing bowlers and while he has explosive potential, he’s been vulnerable towards swing going both ways and hasn’t made a century in some three years.

A 35 year old with a single test match score average of less than 10 to his name seems to be the very opposite of an Ashes player but anyone who’s even been half watching Country cricket for the past three years will know that he has been amassing runs with machine like consistency for Middlesex this summer, putting 790 runs on the board in just eight games including 184 against Sussex and 214 against Surrey. Having played for Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Middlesex, his knowledge of conditions should be no issue and he could well make a most positive impact on this series.

So too could Brad Haddin, the veteran wicketkeeper who has reclaimed the spot behind the summer. A veteran of two Ashes series, Haddin scored 360 runs in the last series and 278 in 2009 in just four tests and looks to be the value at 14/1. Haddin is some way down the order, but should get plenty of chances given the fragile looking nature of Australia’s top order and with experience of facing all three of England’s bowlers, may be better prepared to handle the challenges that Anderson, Broad and Finn to name just three can offer. Boylesports’ batsman handicap sees him receive 115 runs from Michael Clarke, 80 from Shane Watson, 85 from Chris Rodgers, 65 from Ed Cowan and 45 from David Warner, which gives him a fine chance of taking the honours in this series – back him for that and the top bat.

It is England though, who look to hold the whip hand as far as the bat is concerned and while we think their attack through the series will win out, it’s their Number 7 batsman that we think can make the difference. Matt Prior (left) is best known for his magnificent stand to save the third test and the series in New Zealand, but in reality it’s been nothing different from what he’s done since his century debut introduction into the side six years ago. Prior is an absolutely metronomic batsman – the best wicket keeper batsman in the world according to many statistics – who is able to handle any sort of bowling with aplomb – and has been the top English runscorer in two of the last four series, having played only 5 innings when fourth on the list on England’s tour of India last winter.

Those stats bely his position in the batting markets and he looks outstandingly big in the series markets, with Stan James’ offering 28/1 that he can top the charts and paying ¼ for three places, while the top batsmen handicaps are equally generous – Bet Victor give him a +110 run start from Cook onwards, with starts from every established batsman, while Stan James will give a lumpy 140 run start which gets him a start from everyone but opposite number Brad Haddin.

Advice – Series batting

1 pt each/way Matt Prior Top Batsman (28/1 Stan James)

1 pt each/way Matt Prior +110 on Batsman handicap (14/1 Bet Victor)

1 pt each/way Matt Priot +140 on Batsman handicap (16/1 Stan James)

Advice – Australian Series Batting

1 pt each/way Brad Haddin +115 on series h’cap (8/1 Boylesports)