Ashes Second Test Player Tips: A trio of top bat and bowler tips from Ed Hawkins

• Labuschagne dazzles under lights

• Smith may show late burst
• Starc 6/17.00 for man of match

• All the player win rates

• Read the match preview HERE
• Don't miss our dedicated Ashes section HERE

Australia v England
Thursday 4 November, 05.00
TV: Live on TNT

Bet 1: Back Marnus Labuschagne top Australia 1st innings bat 9/25.50

The blink-and-you've-missed-it Perth Test was over so quickly and chaotically that it can play havoc with rational thought. Staying true to strategies and what has worked before is as much true as it is for players as punters.

That is is probably the chief reason England stuck together after the chastening defeat. They wanted to ram home their message, whether you agree with it or not. They havev't become bad players or a bad team, overnight. And so bets which didn't win at the Optus haven't become bad value.

It does pay to stick to our guns. Which is why bets will be revisited for this game. The first is Marnus Labuschagne to top score for Australia in the first-innings. He passes the first test: is his price out of line with how often he wins?

Yes. Labuschagne has a two-year win rate of 18.7%. Sportsbook rate him at 9/25.50, that's a 18.2% chance. The edge is not huge but it's big enough in a market where there are slim pickings.

Labuschagne has all the qualities to do well in a day-night Test where conditions can make batting two different experiences before tea and after. This is the Twilight Zone when the pink ball suddenly becomes harder to see for batters. So we would like to be on a batter who has the requisite mental and technical fortitude.. Labuschagne fits the bill.

In day-night Tests he is a specialist. No batter has scored more runs than his 958 in nine. He has passed 50 on eight occassions in those games and has an average of 65. 

He is a much better bet than Steve Smith. Smith's two-year win rate is now down at a shockingly low 11%. Although Smith also has a good record under lights we cannot possibly justify taking the 3/14.00.

Australia top 1st inns runscorer win rates last two years
Labuschagne 18.7%
Smith 11.11
Head 21.1%
Carey 10.5%
Webster 42% (7 Tests)
Starc 5.2%

Bet 2: Jamie Smith top England 1st innings bat 13/27.50

In the last ten first innings (match innings one and two) in Brisbane the top runscorer has come from No 5 or below. That is a good reason to stick with Jamie Smith at 13/27.50 for top England bat. It is a cut from 15/28.50 but it is fair to reckon that the England top order's unique approach to batting in Tests keeps him keen. 

As much as England always give the opposition a chance because of their reckless approach to runscoring and refusal to knuckle down in tough conditions, so too late-order tops bets. It is why Smith has such a strong record on this market. The price is way out of line with how often he wins and it is now from a chunky-enough study sample to start taking it seriously. 

Ollie Pope looked neat and tidy in the first Test and he is underrated at 15/28.50. If we're wrong about a top-order flop he would fit the bill. Pope has looked England's most organised batter on tour. 

England top 1st inns runscorer win rates last two years
Crawley 23.8%
Duckett 8.3%
Pope 16.6%
Root 20.8%
Brook 21%
Stokes 0%
Smith 25%

Bet 3: Australia v England second Ashes Test player specials

Mitchell Starc is the pink-ball king with an even money record on top Australia first-innings bowler. Even so the 11/102.11 that he wins again is a tough ask and his price has collapsed in the build-up.

There are chunkier options to consider. Sportsbook offer 6/17.00 that he wins the man of the match award again. He is 11/26.50 for a five-wicket haul in the first-innings. 

Gus Atkinson is 11/43.75 for top England bowler. He is winning at a rate of 28%. That's a small edge in our favour. It is still fair to reckon he has the most adapatability. He doesn't rely on just brute pace or bounce perhaps like Jofra Archer or Brydon Carse. There is some artistry to him, which probably explains the win rate. 

Throughout the series don't miss our in-play day-by-day guide. For now, though, you can read about player angles and strategies here!

Now read Ed's second Ashes Test preview and tips