2010-11 Ashes Betting / Ed Hawkins / 29 December 2010 /

The urn returned or not, Ed Hawkins reminds the tourists that a defeat in Sydney could undo much of their good work

Much euphoria then for England as they retained the Ashes. But they have not won the series - yet - which seems to have escaped most people. It highlights the difference between the public and punters.

While the Average Joe is just delighted that Australia will not get their hands on the urn, the rest of us are still fretting over 'England to win' wagers struck months ago and about to cop just in time to ease the Christmas financial splurge.

Sky's commentary team were (irritatingly) full of it after Tim Bresnan took the final wicket to ensure the urn remained in English hands. David Gower and Sir Ian Botham continually spoke as if the job was done while even Andrew Strauss began an answer to an interviewer not making it wholly clear that the series was still to be won.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ricky Ponting thinks everything is lost. In an example of how frazzled he has become, the poor lad seemed to think the rubber was over.

"The fact that I've lost those three series is disappointing for me," he said. "Hopefully I'm not only remembered as that guy, the guy that lost three Ashes series. There's lots of other great things I've been lucky to be able to be part of as a player throughout my career. This result is not one of my proudest."

The final Test in Sydney, which starts on Sunday, will make for interesting psychological analysis. On the one hand you have a team who, judging by their celebrations at the MCG, believe they have got the job done while on the other you have a set of players who are so demoralised they have forgotten they have an opportunity to level the series.

A 2-2 draw would be a good result for Australia given their standing in the world game at the moment. And purely on results, it would be a very bad one for England. They have been head and shoulders above this Australia side so to fail to win the series - and ensure that England's wait for a win Down Under goes another four years - would be, well, a failure.

Ashes series of the past are littered with surprise results when Australia have taken their foot off the gas, safe in the knowledge that the urn is theirs. It will be a mark of how far England have come under Strauss and Andy Flower if they manage to prevent their charges from slipping.

It is a tough task. When the ultimate aim is to ensure the Ashes are retained, it is inevitable that players will relax. The pressure they have been under to be at the top of their games since the end of November will just have been released a little.

It may well be that they will be good enough to beat Australia when playing at less than 100%. After all, the home side must make at least one change with Ryan Harris injured while the places of Steven Smith and Phillip Hughes are surely under threat.

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