Dominant Australia 2-5 to keep hold of urn

SPORTS BETTING: AUSTRALIA were deserved winners of cricket’s World Cup.

They were the best side in the competition and the outcome of the final against New Zealand was never in doubt once Mitchell Stark had bowled Brendon McCullum with a snorter in the first over.

Clearly, the Aussies are the dominant force in world cricket at the moment and I include the Test arena in that assessment. They have named their Ashes squad for this summer’s trip to England and it is a fearsome line-up which will be spearheaded by the pace bowling of Stark and Mitchell Johnson.

Australia are 2-5 to retain the Ashes urn they won so emphatically Down Under and 8-11 to win the series, with England 9-4 and the draw 11-2.

Given England’s lack of bowling fire power, I can’t see our boys enjoying much joy and they had better brace themselves for some abuse to go with the good hidings they are likely to receive.

Some of the Aussie players’ actions against New Zealand were way over the top, particularly those of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin who openly admitted he found the Black Caps too nice in the first game between the teams in the World Cup and intended to be hostile towards them in the final. He lived up to his pledge, and he was not alone.

I know the exchange of verbals on a cricket field is nothing new, but Australia are taking it much too far. Even their own media has turned again them, with sections of the press suggesting their World Cup success had been overshadowed by their boorish behaviour.

Perhaps captain Michael Clarke and his talented team might want to have a long think before electing to turn England’s cricket arenas into sledging battlefields this summer.



ENGLAND will build up to the Ashes with a three-match series in the West Indies, starting in Antigua on April 13. The tourists are 4-7 to come out on top with the Windies 9-2 and the draw 15-4.



LAST night’s 1-1 draw between Italy and England has caused barely a ripple on betting for Euro 2016.

Our boys are 12-1 to win the tournament with the Azzurri 14-1 alongside Belgium,. who won in Israel last night. World champions Germany are 7-2 favourites with hosts France 9-2 and Spain 7-1.



KEITH McHugh selected an Australia-New Zealand final at 8-1 in his pre-World Cup tipping column.

Next week, he turns his attention to the Masters at Augusta.