
As an England cricket fan the 2025-26 Ashes series has been an absolute disaster and we have only played two Tests. The third Test in Adelaide is absolutely crucial, if England fail to win then the Ashes is over. A win keeps the series alive, but unfortunately I cannot see that happening.
Normally I am very optimistic when it comes to international sport, and I am very Patriotic. However, this England team does not fill me with confidence. Half of the batsmen look petrified and the bowlers only look angry when they have no chance of winning.
Hopefully the little break will have done them some good and Ben Stokes and his men will arrive in Adelaide ready to compete and fight for the first time in this Ashes series.
England have failed to really test Australia in the opening two Test matches, and I am unsure what will change in the third Test in Adelaide. They look petrified and clueless at times, but hopefully I will be proved wrong.
Australia are just one win away from winning the Ashes, and they have hardly moved out of third gear. They have not needed to be at their best to beat this England side.
It is up to England now to show some fighting spirit that they have displayed in the past, but from the outside looking in, they already look a beaten side before walking on to the field.
Mitchell Starc has been the pick of the Australian bowlers and has tormented England in the last two Tests. For the third Test in Adelaide, it looks like he will be partnered by his captain Pat Cummins who has recovered from injury.
England have failed to contain Starc, and by adding Cummins into the mix, it could be another torrid time for the England batsmen.
The tourists have been rocked by the news that fast bowler Mark Wood has been ruled out for the remainder of the series after breaking down with a knee injury that had seen him miss eight months of action. He has been replaced by Matthew Fisher in the squad, but he is unlikely to feature in Adelaide.
Many experts has suggested the Adelaide pitch will provide some spin, but England have opted not to select Shoaib Bashir in the team. They will continue with pace with Josh Tongue coming in for Gus Atkinson.
England coach Brendon McCullum has hinted that the batting line up will remain the same despite failing in their last two Test matches. It is win or bust for England and possibly for McCullum as head coach.
In the previous two Ashes Test matches, I backed England to win each match. I am not falling for that mistake again. Having watched the two Test matches, I now cannot see how England can win a single match on this tour.
They look under prepared and scared of the Aussies. I would not surprised if this one was in the bag inside three days. I am hoping the England fighting spirit will shine through, but I have no evidence or confidence that this will happen.
Mitchell Starc has been in fine form for the Australians in the opening two Tests. He has destroyed England and has taken 18 wickets already. He will be backed up by Pat Cummins in Adelaide, but I still think Starc will be the tormentor in chief. I am backing him once again to be Australia's leading wicket taker in the first innings.
Travis Head has caused the England bowlers to have nightmares with 199 runs in four innings. Once he gets settled, he is a brilliant batsman and I am backing him to score at least a half century when he makes it to the crease.
I do not know where to start with the England batsmen. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett are both capable of putting on big scores. Unfortunately, they can't seem to do it together. If they could put on an opening stand of over 100, it would fill the team and supporters with confidence. I just cannot see them both scoring runs.
I expect one of them to fall cheaply. I am backing Duckett to score less than 26.5 runs, although I expect Joe Root to be England's shining light with another score over 50 and be England's top scorer.
When it comes to the bowling attack I am underwhelmed. Jofra Archer is one of the fastest bowlers in the world, but he only gets wound up when there is nothing on the line. He needs to be fierce and intimidating, but I am not sure he has it in him this series.
Ben Stokes needs to get the ball in his own hand more often. I know he has had his injury problems, but he needs to lead by example and show that fighting spirit that has been missing. I am backing Stokes to be England's best bowler in the first innings.
Check out my wide range of betting tips for the third Test and see if I am on the money or miles off. I have been correct twice while backing Starc. let's see how I fare in Adelaide.
The Ashes is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and the betting interest will be through the roof.
There will not be many specific welcome offers aimed at The Ashes, but that does not mean you cannot take advantage of the current welcome bonus offers on the market thanks to a wide range of cricket betting sites.
BetMGM UK has a “bet £10 and get £40 in free bets” welcome bonus offer for its sportsbook new customers in the UK.
All you have to do is sign up for an account on the BetMGM platform and deposit at least £10. Then, within seven days, place a qualifying sports bet at the required minimum odds to receive £40 in Free Bets, paid as four £10 Free Bets that include two Bet Builder Free Bets and two Sports Free Bets.
All Free Bets must be used within seven days and cannot be used on esports or on horse racing outside the United Kingdom and Ireland. This promotion is only available to customers who are at least 18 years old.
The free bets will be distributed as follows - 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet).
The QuickBet sportsbook has a great welcome offer for new customers to get their teeth into.
To claim the Bet £10, Get £10 Free Bet offer, you will need to place a minimum bet of £10 with odds of 2.00 (1/1) within 24 hours of your QuickBet sign up.
After the result of your bet comes in, the £10 free bet becomes available on your bonus page. The free bet needs to be wagered only once before it can be paid out. However, the £10 free bet being deducted from any potential winnings is a potential turn off.
With the Ashes series still ongoing, QuinnBet is seeing a lot of money being placed on an Australia 5-0 whitewash. You can currently get odds of 6/4 on that happening as Australia are 2-0 up with three Test matches still to be played.
This welcome offer at Betway is similar to the one at BetMGM. New customers have to register, deposit and wager £10 in order to activate the Betway welcome offer.
No bonus code is needed, but there are certain stages to claiming the offer. You will receive four bet tokens and they are as follows:
Only one of the free bets is available to be used on The Ashes. It is still a decent offer, you can use the £10 bet on who you think will score the most runs in the first Test or take the most wickets.

Users must be 18+. If you are having trouble with gambling then help and advice can be found at begambleaware.org. Please Play Responsibly.