4th Ashes Test: England v Australia - prediction, stars to watch and suggested bets

England v Australia, Wednesday 19 July to Sunday 23 July, Manchester

As with most cricket in England, the wet weather can often be a factor. The forecast for Manchester shows that rain may play a role, come days four and five on the weekend.

Moeen Ali is set to bat at number three. He is rather unfamiliar with the position in Tests, having only batted there in seven innings. Ali has been trialled as a T20 number three for Chennai Super Kings in their 2021 and 2022 Indian Premier League campaigns. That experiment produced a mixed bag of results.

James Anderson also returns to familiar territory in Old Trafford. His output in the first two Ashes Tests may be of concern, but Ben Stokes and company will be selecting him on his potential to be a lethal weapon in swinging conditions. Ali emphasised that "England are a better team with Anderson in there."

David Warner's position in the Australian top order seems to be constantly scrutinised. However, the selection panel may play it more conservatively and persist with Warner despite his troubles in England. Bringing in Marcus Harris or Matt Renshaw for Warner in a crucial game could pose a huge risk. Neither Harris nor Renshaw have made an appearance in the series yet and it would be a tough task asking them to perform under extreme pressure from the get-go.

Mitchell Marsh's century has presented a selection headache for Australia. Cameron Green oozes potential but has yet to show that on English soil. Australia may look to reward Marsh for his swashbuckling performance at Headingley when the team needed him most.

England won the last encounter between the two nations. Australia won three consecutive Tests before then. Finally, one drawn match between them rounds up the last five head-to-head fixtures.

Harry Brook showed signs in the second innings of the third Test of being back to the type of run-scoring form that has characterised his Test cricket career to date. He'll be looking to bring up his first three-figure score of the series at Old Trafford.

Mark Wood has made a massive difference with the ball for England. The right-arm quick has given the English bowling attack a new lease on life. Following his successful display at Headingley, he'll be looking to bring his charismatic energy, coupled with lightning-quick pace, to Manchester.

Pat Cummins will want to continue leading the pack in the Australian bowling attack. Cummins is currently the second-highest wicket-taker in the series but will be looking to bowl spells that are more economical.

Marnus Labuschagne has only managed some decent starts without going big, but it may only be a matter of time before the classy number three produces a score of some substance. He spent time playing County Championship cricket in England before the start of The Ashes. His County Championship numbers of two hundreds and two fifties prove that he has what it takes to play in English conditions.

After seeing the current winning momentum that England have started to build, they may be slight favourites in the fourth Ashes Test.

An England win will obviously please English fans, but the neutral cricket fan would be just as interested. A two-all scoreline would make an already tightly-contested series even more thrilling, leaving the fifth Test at The Oval as a series decider. It would be unsurprising if the series has a few more twists and turns in store.

England to beat Australia

Marnus Labuschagne to be top Australian batsman

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