The Road to Riches Weekend of 4th-5th April

Coming up this weekend

• Horse Racing, On the flat at Musselburgh, Over the jumps at Carlisle, Haydock, Huntingdon and Newton Abbot and on the all- weather at Wolverhampton.
• FA Cup, Quarter finals this weekend
• Rugby Union, European Champions Cup Round of 16
• Cricket, the IPL continues
• Golf, the Masters begins next Thursday
• Tennis, ATP Monte Carlo Masters

 

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Aintree Grand National Festival

We have added the Aintree Grand National Festival (Full Package) 9th-11th April 2026 to our website for £99 here 

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European Rugby Champions Cup Last Sixteen

Harlequins v Sale 8pm Saturday

Two of the most disappointing English PREM sides this season are drawn together in the last sixteen of the ERCC this weekend.

Both Harelequins and Sale have only won 3 of their 12 league matches and are in 9^th and 7^th in the ten-team league respectively. As the top 8 in the league qualify for next season’s ERCC both sides need improved form at the tail end of the season.

Harlequins finished second in their ERCC pool winning 3 of 4 games finishing behind Leinster but ahead of Leicester, La Rochelle, Bayonne and the Stormers. They were helped by playing at home to a weakened Stormers team and winning but had a huge win at the end of the pool at La Rochelle to secure the sixth seed.

Sale finished third in Pool 1 behind Glasgow and Toulouse but ahead of Saracens. They too beat weakened South African opposition the Sharks at home and also beat a French side, Clermont, away. The ended the pool stages as the eleventh seed.

With the knockout stages draw fixed the winners of this match will most likely travel to Dublin to play Leinster in the Quarter-Finals, a very tough task for either.

Harlequins problems this season have been three-fold. 1 Instability in the coaching team 2. Injuries and 3. Lack of defensive structure.

After Head Coach Danny Wilson’s abrupt departure just before the start of this season Jason Gilmore was promoted from defence coach to senior coach and recently he has been confirmed as the coach through next season.

On the one hand promising a global search only to promote the person who was already in the building presents an optical issue. Particularly when that coach, in this case Gilmore, had a grand total of two league wins this season at the time. There are mitigating factors behind Quins’ rotten season, but in footballing terms it would be the equivalent of Tottenham Hotspur having given Igor Tudor a five-year contract as manager.

Quins are also in a spell of huge player upheaval with players either retired or gone to other clubs since 2021: Danny Care, centre Andre Esterhuizen, top props Joe Marler, Wilco Louw and Will Collier, young locks Hugh Tizard, George Hammond and Dino Lamb, and others including Mike Brown, Louis Lynagh and Irne Herbst and this season injuries have hampered those expected to be leaders.

Last weekend 20 first team squad players were out injured including the Argentinian forward signings Guido Petti, Boris Wenger and Pedro Delgado alongside England prop Fin Baxter. Little has been seen of the Scotland hooker George Turner or scrum-half Stu Townsend.

Out of nowhere last weekend Harlequins then won 18-14 against Bristol in Cardiff. They had not won away in the league for more than a year, they had not won anywhere in the league since October, and they were without England star Marcus Smith and forced to play England wing Caden Murley in the centre.

For Sale meanwhile, defense coach Byron McGuigan had left for Steve Borthwick’s England across the Six Nations window, leaving Mike Forshaw to step back in and rebuild defensive structures that have shown uncomfortable fragility this season. Until the defensive system stabilises, this vulnerability will keep surfacing at the worst possible moments.

Last weekend Sale were also improved for much of a 31-26 home defeat to Champions Bath, were two scores ahead during the first-half, but faded later on with only 25% possession in the second half.

Despite injuries to the Curry brothers this is a team that includes two England front-rowers, George Ford at 10 and Tom Roebuck on the wing.

Looking at the odds for the game, its Harlequins 8/13 Sale 13/10. Harelquins opened -5 on the spread and the line moved to -2.5 quickly.

Assessing which way to go is a matter of deciding which of two disappointing teams might be closer to turning round their fortunes and getting stability in their defensive structure. With their recent coaching certainty, for the first time this season, that is probably Harlequins and they are at home too. On the downside, they remain injury hit.

Reflecting a lack of depth in the competition in recent years, there have been only 2 away wins from 24 games at the last 16 stage of the competition over the last three years. Getting the home team here, in a game of two disappointing teams, at less than a three-point penalty goal, is the way to go.

11 points Harlequins -2.5 points at 10/11 widely available

Close to the sun

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be relegated at the end of this season, ending an eight-year stay in the Premier League.

In 2018, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion both dropped into the Championship after 10 and eight years respectively of top-flight football. In 2023, Southampton’s 11-year stint came to an end, while Leicester City went down after eight seasons after their title win and they might suffer another relegation this season.

Clubs who win promotion and survive their first season sometimes solidify their Premier League status for a while. Sunderland will do so this season, Leeds might, Burnley probabv won’t.  Sometimes clubs exceed expectations for a season or two, or even more.

The problems do not afflict everyone.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have been in the Premier League every season since its inception more than 30 years ago. Manchester City were relegated in its early days and Aston Villa and Newcastle United more recently, but with their current, wealthy owners, all three are secure notwithstanding the multiple Premier League charges hanging over City.

For everyone else, the challenge is different. Of the current 20 Premier League clubs outside that group, only West Ham United (14 years) and Crystal Palace (13) have been there for more than a decade. Seven clubs have been there for five years or fewer. Outside the ‘big six’ and Everton, there have been just 14 stints of 10 years or more in the Premier League among all of the other clubs.

On one hand, it adds interest to the league that the teams below the top echelons are changed on a regular basis. On the other, it creates a genuine question of the right approach for clubs striving for promotion. Push too far in a PSR era, and problems arise from over-investment. One such example of where that has gone badly wrong, of poor recruitment on big wages, are Leicester. If their 2015-16 title triumph is viewed as an astonishing aberration for the established elite, then most of the other clubs spend their time in the Premier League simply trying to avoid dropping out of it, some in better ways than others.

The Road to Riches Weekend of 28th-29th March

Coming up this weekend

• Horse Racing, On the flat at Doncaster, Over the jumps at Stratford and Uttoxeter and on the all- weather at Kempton and Southwell.
• International Friendlies, including England v Uruguay and Japan
• Formula One, the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka
• Golf, the Texas Open on the USPGA
• Tennis, ATP US Clay Court Championships and ATP Opens in Bucharest and Marrakech

Aintree Grand National Festival

We have added the Aintree Grand National Festival (Full Package) 9th-11th April 2026 to our website for £99 here 

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The 2026 Masters 

Chris Gotterup is making his first Masters start in 2026. He will join Dave Hill in 1968 and Mark Wilson in 2011 as players since World War II to make their Masters debut with at least four official PGA Tour wins. Since July 2025, he has won the Scottish Open edging past McIlroy in the final pairing, finished tied third in The Open at Royal Portrush, competed in his first Tour Championship and started the 2026 season with victories in Honolulu and Phoenix. He’s become a four-time winner in his third year on the PGA Tour and has four top 25s this season and three wins in his last 15 events. 

A Year ago he was ranked 219th in the Official World Golf Rankings, he’s now seventh but at prices up to 60-1 just creeps into the top 25 of the betting market for the Masters. This obviously reflects the difficulty of competing at Augusta as a rookie, where only Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 has won on his first appearance.

Yet Gotterup’s game looks like it will suit Augusta well, mainly his length off the tee but also his approach game too. When he first entered the tour he was a classic bomb and gouge guy that didn’t really know where the ball was going but his game has rounded with control of his speed.

Here are his OWGR rankings this season:

5^th in driving distance

17^th Strokes Gained

24^th Strokes Gained off the tee

28^th Strokes Gained Approach

99^th putting

Clearly we’d like the putting stat to be better on what are (weather permitting) always fast greens but the rest of his game looks well set for the Masters.

As I write, and we want as many places as we can get, firms are ¼ 1,2,3,4,5,6. In ten days or so there should be 8 to 10 places around the industry, so I would wait a few days for those marketing offers and be prepared to accept a few points less on the price to get those places.

10 points each-way Chris Gotterup to win the Masters at 55-1 Betfred (1/5,1,2,3,4,5,6), 55-1 Bet365 (1/5 1,2,3,4) 50-1 William Hill ((1/5,1,2,3,4,5,6)

2026 FIFA World Cup Thoughts

The 12 groups for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, were drawn in December. This tournament will be the first to include 48 teams, an expansion from 32 and begins on June 11^th.

Standout group matches will include Mbappe’s France facing Haaland’s Norway in Group I, Brazil vs Morocco in Group C, Portugal against Colombia in Group K and Spain clashing with Uruguay in Group H. The USA will be pleased with a fairly kind group, although it will depend, like five other groups, on which teams make it through the play-offs in March.

Current Ante-Post odds are:

Spain 9/2

England 11/2

France 8/1

Brazil 8/1

Argentina 8/1

Portugal 12/1

Germany 12/1

Netherlands 20/1

Norway 28/1

Italy 33/1

Each way terms are half the odds, two places.

Amongst the key themes:

The hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada all have beatable opponents in their group

Belgium will fancy their chances of topping Group G, with an opener against Egypt looking likely to set the tone. Games against Iran and New Zealand, the competition’s lowest-ranked side should then allow them to progress comfortably.

Spain will be satisfied. Cape Verde did well to even reach the World Cup and it would be a major surprise were they to lay a glove on the European champions first up. Saudi Arabia aren’t as good as they were four years ago and Uruguay could just as easily self-destruct as thrive. 

England drawn in a group with Croatia, Panama and Ghana is fairly tough when you’re a top seed. If they manage to win the group and get to the last 16, they could find themselves facing Mexico in Mexico City followed by, in theory, Brazil in Miami. 

Scotland have a tough task with both five-time world champions Brazil and 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco standing in their way. Brazil vs Morocco is a great start to the group.

In Group I a France and Senegal rematch, the opening game for both sides, is fun.

The phrase “Group of Death” became less valid once the World Cup was expanded to 32 teams in 1998. With 48 teams, of which 32 will make the knockout stage, it looks almost impossible for any team with serious aspirations to feel endangered. 

A £4000 bank (see FAQ re bank-roll requirements) betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £69,244.70 a 1631% increase 

The Road to Riches Weekend of 21st-22nd March

Coming up this weekend

 

• Horse Racing, Over the jumps at Bangor-on-Dee, Kelso and Newbury and on the all- weather at Newcastle and Southwell.
• Premier League, fixtures include Newcastle United v Sunderland
• Cricket, the IPL starts next week
• Golf, the Houston Open on the USPGA and the Indian Open on the DP World Tour
• Tennis, ATP Miami Open Continues

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Aintree Grand National Festival

We have added the Aintree Grand National Festival (Full Package) 9th-11th April 2026 to our website for £99 here

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2026 IPL

The 19^th season of the IPL starts on March 28^th with a return to the classic IPL format where every team plays home and away against every other. This means 77 Matches over 84 days, with double headers at weekends and the usual four team knockout phase.

Only the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have achieved consecutive titles, this time defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will aim to retain their first title won last season.

Odds this season are as follows: Each way terms are available at most firms at half the odds, two places.

Mumbai Indians 4/1

RCB 6/1

Gujarat Titans 8/1

Punjab Kings 8/1

Delhi Capitals 9/1

Sunrisers Hyderabad 9/1

Lucknow Super Giants 10/1

Chennai Super Kings 10/1

Kolkota Knight Riders 10/1

Rajasthan Royals 12/1

No great surprise to see Mumbai favourites, they start off as such every season and are a big game team who like to lead with strong pace bowling (Bumrah/Boult etc) now augmented by Jacks and Santner as spin-bowling all-rounders.

I am looking to decided between a couple of teams at higher prices as the each-way value to reach the knockout phases and from there hope to run well.

Firstly the Gujarat Titans at 7/1, winners in 2022 and runners-up in 2023. The Titans love a fast bowler who can steam into the opposition players and with a starting line-up of Rabada, Krishna and Siraj with Wood, Arshad Khan and Ishant Sharma on the bench, they have this again.

There are some warning signs there though for their batting line up which last year was very dependent on big runs from their top three. Shubman Gill has played T20 since the end of 2025, Sudharsan hasn’t played since December and the less said about Jos Buttler’s form the better. Glenn Phillips and/or Jason Holder will be important middle order players if they fail.

Secondly the Delhi Capitals at 9/1. They have started strong and tailed off for the last few years. Could this be the year that they fulfil their potential?

One of their key strengths is their versatility within the squad, they have so many tactical combinations they really could field two or three different versions of their team depending who they are playing. Starc leads the pace-bowling line-up and he is fresh after not playing in the T20 World Cup. Add the spin due of Kuldeep and Axar and this is a very good bowling unit. Batting wise they have shopped smart bringing in Duckett and Nissanka to fill for the opener slot with KL Rahul and there is strength and power right through the order.

Delhi can pick four of their overseas players: Nissanka, Duckett, Starc, Ngidi, Jamieson, Miller and Stubbs, possibly the strongest roster of such players in this year’s IPL.

Partly on value grounds and partly due to their versatility and depth I am going to choose Delhi

10 points each-way (1/2 1,2) Delhi Capitals to win the 2026 IPL at 9/1 Bet365, Betfred, William Hill, BetVictor

Try hard.

Last weekend saw the end of the 2026 Six Nations Championship, by general agreement the most exciting and probably the best Championship ever with attacking rugby on display. France retained their title and scored 30 tries on the way to doing so. Scotland and Ireland played last Saturday both with hopes of winning the title and each scored 20 tries across their five Championship games. England only won 1 game and yet scored 21 tries.

A total of 29 tries were scored across last Saturday’s three fixtures, the most on a single day in the Championship's history, overtaking 2015's Super Saturday (27).

The Championship culminated with France winning the Six Nations with the final kick of the game in Paris against England to win 48-46 (Six Nations “Scorigami”, and not for the first time this championship) a game with no less than 16 lead changes, one of the best games you will ever see as England finally threw off their shackles and played with ambition.

The most points scored in a Six Nations remains 229 (England, 2010) but France with 218 in 2025 and 211 in 2026 came close to that record.

The brilliant French winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey is 22-years-old and has played 14 Six Nations games and now has:

• 18 tries in 14 Six Nations games (joint 5th all-time)

• The record for most tries in a tournament (twice with 9 and 8)

• The most tries in consecutive Six Nations games (10)

LBB and Attisogbe combined for 14 tries (9 and 5 respectively) in this Championship on the French wings.

Perhaps every Six Nations team this year leaves with grounds for optimism:

France, a few years after their World Cup winning U20 side began to be introduced to the senior team to augment the more established players are now successive Champions and in great shape to peak for the 2027 World Cup successive champs. The team has moved on from Penaud, Fickou, Ntamack and Alldritt seamlessly, with only a couple of under-powered props an ongoing concern. On the downside, with the renowned defence coach Shaun Edwards, France conceded 50 then 46 points in rounds 4 and 5 which was highly unexpected.

Ireland won the Triple Crown, recovering from the opening week loss in Paris well. Their partial rebuild post Jonny Sexton now looks in better shape, especially because Jack Crowley has now established himself as the starting 10. McCloskey and Balacaoune at 13 and 14 were among the players of the tournament.

Scotland had fantastic wins at home against England and France but were less impressive on their travels, losing in Rome, just winning in Cardiff and second best in Dublin in the final game.

Italy had two Six Nations wins for only the fourth time in 26 years. In centre Menoncello they have a world class player and their gritty pack of forwards caused every opponent problems in scrum and line-out.

England lost four games out of five for the first time ever in a Six Nations but gave a glimpse of their potential in putting 46 points on France in Paris.

The progress Wales have made in this Six Nations has been enormous. They improved so much since the opening two matches and ended a fifteen-match losing Six Nations run on week five at home to Italy.

Overall, the Championship displayed many of the changing structural traits of modern International rugby with incredible fitness, offloading skills and rule changes in the aerial game leading to more counter-attacking and the ball-in-play more. . All of these contributed to high-scoring try laden games.

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The Road to Riches Weekend of 14th-15th March

Coming up this weekend

 

• Horse Racing, Over the jumps at Fontwell, Kempton, Newcastle and Uttoxeter on the all- weather at Southwell.
• Premier League, fixtures include Arsenal v Everton and Chelsea v Newcastle United
• Rugby Union, the final round of the Six Nations Championship including France v England in Paris
• Formula One, the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai
• Golf, the Valspar Championship on the USPGA and the Hainan Classic on the DP World Tour
• Tennis, ATP Miami Open

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Six Nations Round 5 Ireland v Scotland Saturday 2.10pm

Both of these teams began the Six Nations badly. Ireland were well beaten in Paris whilt Scotland lost in Rome in terrible conditions. After that game Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend’s position was under real pressure his side perennial under-achievers and the Italy loss following the Autumn choke to Argentina when they led 21-0 only to lose after allowing five second half tries.

Since that opening weekend of the tournament though Ireland and Scotland have each won three games in a row and both go into this final weekend/Super Saturday with a chance of winning the title though most would expect France to win over England with a bonus point to retain their title. Even so, one of Ireland and Scotland will win the Triple Crown, something which Scotland have never won.

Doubts around Ireland after the Paris loss centred around what seemed to be an impending rebuild under two years ahead of the 2027 World Cup, with some new players being introduced. Ireland responded with a signature win over England in London, and more routine home wins over Italy and Wales. Key players like Gibson-Park and Beirne have returned to top form and the decision to start Crowley at 10 ahead of Prendergast has given more security in defense. With a stronger platform up front and at 9-10 the midfield has impressed.

In Rome Scotland’s scrum struggled but it has done much better since. They’ve excelled at the breakdown in two brilliant home wins over England and France. Against France they won all 65 of their attacking rucks and disrupted several of France’s. Here though they play without both locks who started against France, Cummings and Brown, who are injured.

At 10 Finn Russell has reached his peak, vying with Dupont for the best Northern Hemisphere player with superb variety and deception in his kicking game and starting a variety of attacks with his creativity. In attack Scotland have really turned it on with 15 tries in 3 games since Rome and no less than 7 against France in a 50-point performance with no less than 30 line-breaks. The ball was in play for over 30 minutes (six nations average un der 35 minutes) and Scotland forced France to attempt 263 tackles and miss 55, and put the biggest score on them since their renowned defence coach Shaun Edwards joined.

In Dublin this weekend I hope they stay brave as both gameplans against England and France were constructed around bravery trading risk for reward. Almost every time Scotland had a kickable penalty, they traded up the certainty of three points for seven.

Moving on from both of Scotland’s excellent home wins in this Championship this game is another matter entirely. Scotland’s record against Ireland is terrible. They’ve lost 11 of their games in a row going back to 2018 and their last nine games in Dublin going back to 2010.

I do think this is a moment that might be a turning point though. Scotland have finally turned talent and potential into rapid improvement whilst Ireland is a more workmanlike team just beginning to go through a move to a new generation of players. This should be a very close game if Scotland stick to their guns and continue to attack with precision. The expected point total for the game is 50.5 points.

11 points Scotland +5.5 points at 10/11 generally

Chaotic

A backdrop of off-field chaos is not necessarily the way in which a team wanted to play this Six Nations but it is one nonetheless with which Welsh rugby is increasingly familiar.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has entered into a “period of exclusivity” with its preferred bidder for Cardiff, which has been under WRC control since entering administration a year ago. The bidder is Y11 Sport & Media an investment firm that owns the Ospreys.No deal has yet been signed.

Last year, the WRU proposed cutting one of the four men’s professional sides, expressing a preference for a team based in the east (the Dragons in Newport), the capital (Cardiff) and west of the country. That appeared to leave the Scarlets, based in Llanelli, and the Ospreys, who are set to redevelop the St Helen’s ground in Swansea later this year, as vulnerable.

For supporters and stakeholders of the Ospreys, reports of Y11’s possible purchase of Cardiff have angst. The most successful of the four remaining sides formed in a 2003 regionalisation process uncertainty over their ground after leaving the Swansea.com Stadium formerly shared with Swansea City has caused destabilisation. While geographically close to Llanelli, if the Ospreys are to go, it would take professional rugby out of the nation’s second-largest city.

The WRU’s view is that fielding three equally funded teams is the optimal strategy for both on-field performance and off-field sustainability, having consulted with players, coaches, fans and stakeholders over a proposal to drop to just two sides. Its plans have, however, caused uproar, with Central Glamorgan Rugby Union attempting to force an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) and hold a vote of no confidence in the WRU chair. While most in Wales agree that something must be done to address an ailing rugby nation, finding compromise and concord appears impossible.

The Road to Riches Weekend of 7th-8th March

Coming up this weekend

• Horse Racing, Over the jumps at Ayr, Hereford and Sandown and on the all- weather at Chelmsford and Wolverhampton.
• Cricket, The final of the T20 World Cup in India
• Rugby Union, the penultimate round of the Six Nations Championship
• Formula One, the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne
• Golf, the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on the USPGA
• Tennis, ATP BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells

Cheltenham Festival

Next week, The Cheltenham Festival Tues 10th - Fri 13th March 2026 (Package) - all our write ups and bets for £199 here.

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Six Nations Round Four: Scotland v France Saturday 2.15pm

With France 6/4 to win the Grand Slam before the tournament started. Of their two away fixtures this year this always loomed large as a key game in their attempt to win the title unbeaten.

With France having won their first three games very comfortably that remains the case. France have scored 123 points and no less than 18 tries in the three matches and conceded only 34 points. 13 of France’s tries this Six Nations have been scored without a ruck in the opposition 22, and obviously their attacking flair and ability to strike from a way out is a brilliant way to bypass modern congested defenses closer to the line. As it is they have a 50% success rate (points scored) from entries into the 22 in this Six Nations so far.

Granted two of the three games have been Wales away and Italy at home but so far so good especially in the 36-14 opening game win over Ireland. Wingers Bielle-Biarrey and Attisogbe account for 7 of France’s tries so far.

Scotland in Murrayfield is a different challenge in what should be an open high-scoring game. The weather forecast is good which is helpful in expecting that type of game. Scotland lack some power up front, and in the monsoon conditions in the opening round in Rome this was exposed in the loss to Italy. Fired up they then beat England at home followed by a comeback win in Cardiff which whilst less impressive was nevertheless the type of win that this Scotland team have rarely achieved in recent years, they’ve tended to fold in the face of adversity.

If Scotland can compete up front in the scrum and continue to improve what was a very wobbly line-out and secure enough quality ball then they have the firepower out wide to trouble France, as unlikely as an outright win would be. Scotland are bottom for scrum retention on their own put-in (76%) and for lineout success (81%). Those areas, plus restarts, need to be far better this weekend

I expect a closer game than France -10.5 on the handicap implies. In any case Scotland’s best chance is probably an open, high scoring shoot-out where they aren’t compelled to battle in tight spaces. Indeed the market has this as a 55.5-point game so a high socring game is expected

Each six Nations year is of course different but over the years France haven’t had it their own way in Murrayfield, they won just 20-16 two years ago. Historically Scotland have a 56% win rate over France at home.

11 points Scotland +10.5 points at 10/11 generally

Batting Woes

In the 2025-26 Ashes, few batsmen performed well. No Ashes Tests had been decided within two days for 104 years; In the 2025-26 series there were two two-day tests in the same series.

Batsmen’s struggles were stranger because of absences from both teams’ first-choice attacks: Josh Hazlewood missed the entire series; Pat Cummins and Mark Wood only played a Test apiece; Jofra Archer and Nathan Lyon were also absent in Melbourne. England lost 26 wickets at a combined average of 21.2 to Scott Boland and Michael Neser. There were various reasons why batting was so difficult.

Firstly the wobble seam delivery is the most influential development in fast bowling since at least the popularisation of reverse swing in the early 1990s. The wobble seam is bowled with the fingers wide of the seam and held loosely, rather than in a conventional upright position. This delivery wobbles in the air. After pitching, the delivery moves in one of three directions: away from the batsman; into the batsman; or it remains along its previous path, without deviating.

Facing 80mph bowling, a batsman has about half a second between the ball being delivered and reaching them. With wobble seam, all the deviation occurs in the final 0.15 seconds of the delivery when it is too late for batsmen to change their shots.

Next, accuracy. There is strong reason to think that today’s Test seamers are more accurate than ever before.  Even in the absence of two of their three leading seam bowlers, Australia demonstrated remarkable accuracy: the ability to pound out a good line and length relentlessly, thereby maximising all assistance offered. One finding by CricViz, the data-tracking company, emphasises Boland’s skill. Based on a player’s ability to bowl on both a good line and length, Boland is the most accurate seamer in history, since ball-tracking data was introduced in 2005.

Two Tests, at Perth and Melbourne, were also played on very green pitches. Either side of these Tests, batsmen have thrived. Across Brisbane and Adelaide, the teams averaged a combined 34.9 per wicket.

Aspects of batting technique this series can justifiably be criticised. Modern batsmen have far less experience in defending than players of previous generations, before the short-formats of the game accelerated. Perhaps batting techniques have indeed declined but very accurate bowling accurate on a pitch offering abundant movement meant batsmen were bound to struggle.

Finally the Kookaburra balls, once seen as offering no help to bowlers, were changed to include a broader seam and a plastic layer on top three years ago. Since then they’ve offered prodigious help to bowlers. It was poor planning by England to introduce the old Kookaburra ball for rounds of the 2024-25 County Championships, not at all replicating the conditions the England batsmen were about to experience down under. 

England ultimately picked a bowling attack full of pace, appropriate for Australian pitches and balls of a decade ago. The irony was that their batsmen were undone by “English type” seamers, of a type that England had not selected.

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