The 2017–18 Ashes series is a series of Test live cricket betting matches that will be contested between England and Australia for The Ashes urn, a small urn made of terracotta and standing 11 cm high, and which people who bet on cricket matches online believe contains the ashes of a burnt cricket bail. England is the current holder of The Ashes by virtue of winning the 2015 series 3-2. The series will be played at five Australian venues between November 23rd 2017 and January 8th 2018.
- 2017-2018 Ashes series
- Part of English cricket team in Australia in 2017–18
- Date 23 November 2017 – 8 January 2018
- Location: Australia
- Teams: Australia, England
- Captains: Steve Smith (AUS), Joe Root (ENG)
England has chosen seamer Jake Ball over Craig Overton for the first Ashes Test against in Brisbane. Ball has fully recovered from the ankle that he sprained on November 10th and which made him miss England’s final warm-up game last week. Ball has bowled just 15.4 overs on the tour, having fallen in his delivery stride during England’s four-day tour match versus a Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide. On the other hand, Overton has not played a Test but was featured in all three of England’s tour games, taking eight wickets. “It wasn’t an easy decision,” captain Joe Root said. “Craig has come into the squad and everything asked of him he’s done really well. Jake has bowled well when he’s had his opportunity on the tour and the way he goes about things on these surfaces could be really challenging for the Australians.” England will name their batting order on the morning of the live cricket betting game, but Moeen Ali is believed to be line in to move above wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow to number six. All-rounder Moeen said on Tuesday he expected to bat at seven, but Root told the press on Wednesday to “wait and see”.
Australia has called up all-rounder Glenn Maxwell to cover for David Warner and Shaun Marsh, who have, respectively, a stiff neck and a sore back. Warner has had limited time in the nets in the last two days prior the Test, but captain Steve Smith said he expects him to be “OK”. “Warner is still a little bit stiff but he’s feeling better and very confident,” Smith said. “He’s a pretty talented guy and he finds a way no matter what’s going on.” Lefty Warner averages 47.94 from 66 Tests and is expected to open with the uncapped Cameron Bancroft. Warner faced just two throw-downs in the nets on Tuesday but had a longer session the following day, batting without a helmet. “He was hitting them well in the nets,” Smith said, joking that Warner may be forced to copy the open-chested style of former West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul. “He had to open his body up a little more, but he’s confident he’ll be fine.” Smith confirmed that seamers Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers are sidelined, so that pace bowlers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will play in the same Test side for the first time ever.