The Ashes In-Play Betting Guide: Five punting pointers for when the action is underway

• Our handy 'keep it close' guide to betting live

• All the key stats and trends to bet on

• Root an in-play lbw bet

• Extreme unders and match odds advice

• Read our Australia player bets guide HERE

• Now read Ed's Ultimate Guide to The Ashes

The Ashes 
From 21 November, 00:15
TV: Live on TNT

No 1: New-ball runs play - when to go over and under

Shorting a team's innings runs when the second new ball arrives is a tried and trusted in-play strategy. There can often be an overestimation on the par lines on the Exchange when the batting team is seemingly set and an underestimation about the impact of new cherry.

In England, the technique is ultra-reliable. The new ball seams and swings more, testing set batters all over again and exposing new ones to the toughest of conditions.

But in Australia, the Kookaburra ball is infamous for being batter-friendly. So we have to be careful. The below data on a three-year study period for Aussie grounds combined suggests the smartest time to go unders is in the second innings of the match with almost ta 14-run difference between the first new ball and the second in terms of average runs per wicket.

First innings

Average runs per wkt 1^st new ball - 35.2
Average runs per wkt 2^nd new ball - 38

Second innings

Average runs per wkt 1^st new ball - 33
Average runs per wkt 2^nd new ball - 19.1

Third innings

Average runs per wkt 1^st new ball - 23.6
Average runs per wkt 2^nd new ball - 20

Fourth innings

Average runs per wkt 1^st new ball - 20.6
Average runs per wkt 2^nd new ball - 27 (1 innings)

No 2: Root leg-before candidate

David Warner calls him Surf Board Pads. English fans call him the second highest runscorer in history. Although Warner's jibe should be taken with the spirit that it is intended, there is no doubt Joe Root can be vulnerable to a leg-before.

He can get caught on the crease if the ball is moving in, particularly off the seam. And Australia will target his pads early on. They will most likely use a leg slip to keep him pinned on the crease early on. Root's next method of dismissal at around the 11/26.50 mark in-play with Sportsbook is a bet. But only if you are watching live and that ball is moving in.

No 3: Don't fear big match odds bets

Test matches are a marathon, not a sprint. That means that first-innings superiority can be overrated, particularly in Test matches involving England whose approach means they are rarely out of the game.

Much has been written about the Bazball phenomenon, much of it nonsense, but one thing is true: its chaotic nature gives England, and their opponents, the opportunity to roar back. One only needs to recall the previous Ashes series when England twice let Australia back in the game in the first two Tests. Don't forget how India came from big numbers to deny England in their last Test of the summer as well.

We should not fear inflated prices in-play on the match odds in this series, particularly as both units appear to have a collapse (or several) in them with the bat. There is nothing wrong with taking eights, nines, tens etcetera in the first three days. The trade will always be an option, too for a smaller but sharp little profit.

The tried and trusted strategy is to add 25% to each of the two teams' starting price and place an order.

No 4: Early finishes possible

Folks who use phrases like 'bean counters' will tell you that five-day tests are likely in this series. Don't bet on it.

It is true that Cricket Australia's money men will point to a financial loss last year and argue that Ashes Tests going the distance will have the bank manager jumping for joy, but that's not how it works when these sides meet. Australians, and even the country's cricket administrators, want nothing more than a humiliation for England.

Pitches Down Under have been more sporting and in Australia's series against India last summer two Tests lasted three days and one was over in two-and-a-half.

That means we keep an eye on the Test Match End markets for days 1-3. A tweak of the match odds strategy above, you can keep both teams on side at chunky numbers.

No 5: Keep extreme unders on side 

Expect the unexpected. At some stage in this series a batting team is going to get razed. And it could well happen more than once.

There are technical frailties in both batting units and it is far from a secret that the Australian pitches are more bowler-friendly these days. Steve Smith said this only a few days ago.

Shorting a team's first-innings runs at 150, 160 and 170 will represent cheap and low-risk lays. In the third match innings we would not worry about going even lower.

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