England trail Australia 2-1 in the five-match Ashes series going into Wednesday's fourth Test at Old Trafford, but the hosts should be full of confidence after their tense three-wicket victory at Headingley.

James Milton's 4th Test Tips

England To Win The Match @ 13/10

Mitchell Starc Australia Top 1st Inns Bowler @ 11/5

Zak Crawley Over 72.5 Player Performance Points @ 5/6

Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.

Setting the scene…..

After frustrating defeats to Australia at Edgbaston and Lord's, England struck back in the third Test at Headingley where Mark Wood's first-innings 5-34 set up a three-wicket win for the home side.

Skipper Ben Stokes played a vital innings of 80 in a tight, low-scoring contest and he will be hoping his side can level the series at 2-2 by winning the fourth Test at Old Trafford.

The Manchester venue has been a stronghold for England, who have won 11 of their last 13 Test matches there, although their only defeat during that sequence came against Australia in the 2019 Ashes.

England To Win The Match @ 13/10

England have a terrific recent Test record at Old Trafford and a bowling attack of Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Chris Woakes and pace ace Wood can fire them to a crucial victory under gloomy skies in Manchester.

Wood unsettled Australia's batsmen during the 2021/22 Ashes series down under and he produced a couple of brilliant spells at Headingley to prevent the Aussies taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

Anderson, who replaces Ollie Robinson in England's only change from Leeds, will be desperate to make an impact in what could be his final Test at his home ground.

Australia have to be respected – they had England in trouble at 171-6 chasing 251 in the fourth innings at Headingley – but they may be a little jaded after playing four tough Test matches against India and England in quick succession and the home side are poised to pounce.   

James Milton's Tip:

England have put themselves in strong positions in each of the first three Ashes Tests, finally getting over the line in Leeds, and they appeal at 13/10 to square the series at Old Trafford.

Skipper Stokes has played inspirational innings in the last two Tests while Wood and Woakes were outstanding on their returns to action at Headingley and Australia's batsmen can expect another serious examination.

Mitchell Starc Australia Top 1st Inns Bowler @ 11/5

England's Wood wasn't the only top-class fast bowler on show in the third Test as Australia captain Pat Cummins took 6-91 in the first innings and left-armer Mitchell Starc claimed five of the seven wickets to fall in England's second innings.

Cummins had picked up only one first-innings scalp in the first two Test matches, so Starc is worth backing to be Australia's top bowler at Old Trafford.

He looks to be in great rhythm, dismissing India superstar Virat Kohli in last month's WTC final at The Oval before picking up six wickets against England at Lord's, and he should trouble the hosts once again. 

James Milton's Tip:

Mitchell Starc has produced some unplayable deliveries in the last two Ashes Tests, picking up 13 wickets at Lord's and Headingley, and he merits a bet at 11/5 to be Australia's top bowler in the first innings.

The left-armer has taken big first-innings scalps in his two previous Test appearances at Old Trafford, dismissing Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Jonny Bairstow in 2013 and getting rid of Stokes, Bairstow and Broad in Australia's 2019 victory in Manchester.  

Zak Crawley Over 72.5 Player Performance Points @ 5/6

England opener Zak Crawley made useful scores of 33 and 44 in the low-scoring win at Headingley and he can exceed a Player Performance points line of 72.5 in the fourth Test.

Crawley has impressed against Australia's excellent new-ball attack, scoring 61 in the first innings of the series at Edgbaston and a run-a-ball 48 at Lord's.

He is still eager to play his shot,s but has shown improved judgement over which deliveries to attack and which to leave or defend and he dug in for 101 balls for his 38 in last summer's Old Trafford Test against South Africa's pace attack. 

James Milton's Tip:

Zak Crawley is yet to play a match-defining innings in this series, but he has shown improved consistency at the top of the order for England, earning 78, 61 and 107 performance points in the first three Tests.

As well as his useful scores of 33 and 44 at Headingley, Crawley took three catches at slip – worth ten points each in the performance market – and he should be in the thick of the action again at OId Trafford.   

England To Win The Match @ 13/10

Mitchell Starc Australia Top 1st Inns Bowler @ 11/5

Zak Crawley Over 72.5 Player Performance Points @ 5/6

Odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation.