One of cricket's oldest rivalries will resume this week, as England and Australia commence the Ashes series in Birmingham, London and beyond/ surrounds. Here are our top tips for who will likely be the top batter, top bowler and player of the series.
Top batter: Steve Smith
You’d be hard pressed to look past Steve Smith as Australia’s top batter. There are contenders such as Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, yes, but they’re pretty much mere pretenders in the shadow of Smith.
The former Australian captain evidently ups his game for big series, namely the Ashes, and will go into this showdown on the back of another Test century in England – this time in the World Test Championship against India.
Smith also warmed up for the Ashes series during a stint with Sussex in the English County Championship. Granted, he didn’t play at any of the Test venues, but conditions at Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Hove would have given Smith the required feel for Headingley, Edgbaston and beyond.
Smith looks a good bet for best batter overall, too, not just for Australia. Even with home ground advantage and their hotshot ‘Bazball’ approach, we can’t see an English batter beating an Australian counterpart in this market. If you really must go for an Englishman, then banking on middle-order rock Joe Root is the best pick.
Top bowler: Stuart Broad
None other than veteran seamer Stuart Broad looks the strongest option for England’s top bowler. There is a hunger to Broad that we haven’t seen in a while and the timing of this renewed passion couldn’t be better for England. Just look at how well he performed in the recent one-off Test against Ireland.
That match was relatively small fry compared to what Broad’s going to face over the next months, but hang he was certainly up for it. Conditions should play right into his hands, especially if or when Ben Stokes wins tosses and opts to bowl first under cloudy skies.
As for best bowler overall, double up on Broad. Australia’s Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins might each get a look-in, but not genuinely enough to truly challenge Broad. We’re not convinced England team-mate James Anderson’s match fitness will get him through all five Ashes Tests, which means limited opportunity to challenge Broad for this mantle.
Player of the Series: Cameron Green
Look back at the Ashes series of yesteryear and you’ll see big performances from world-class all-rounders. Think Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff and, perhaps, even Mitchell Johnson. Well, this year there’s Cameron Green. He’s looking the real deal, even if in the infancy of his burgeoning Test career.
When pundits aplenty are debating whether he’s a batting or bowling all-rounder, he’s definitely doing something right. Green is the first genuine all-rounder Australian cricket has seen in a while.
He could walk into the XI as specialist batter or bowler. He’s match fit, in form, and brimming with personal and professional confidence on the back of a lucrative stint – career- and bank balance-wise – with the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League recently. Go for Green in the Ashes Player of the Series markets.
