England 2/1 to beat Australia in prime Ashes semi

England are 2/1 to beat Australia at Edgbaston on Tuesday in the first Champions Trophy semi-final. Australia are the team to beat - they are 4/11 favourites.

In the tournament odds, England are 4/1, and Australia 4/5 favourites. West Indies are the rank outsiders at 15/2, with Pakistan 10/3.

Testament to his stature as England's talisman, Andrew Flintoff is favourite to be Man of the Match. One failure (16 at Melbourne in the 2002-03 VB Series), and one good innings (45 at Port Elizabeth in the last World Cup) are Flintoff's only previous one-day performances against the Aussies. In the 26 matches since his last match against them, he has averaged a sensational 63 with the bat and 18 with the ball.

Flintoff is then followed by three Australians - Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting, all at 15/2. For those looking for a bet at longer odds, why not take a look at Paul Collingwood at 16/1 or Brett Lee at 18/1?

Collingwood has rapidly become an essential cog in the England one-day machine, providing an essential foil for Flintoff, while Lee's record against England - 19 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 21 - may persuade Ponting to give him a run out in this key match.

The Batsman Matches market pits two left-handed openers against each other -Adam Gilchrist against Marcus Trescothick. According to bet365 Gilchrist has the upper hand here, with odds of 4/5. Trescothick is at 10/11.

When pitched against the out-of-form Michael Vaughan, it is Trescothick who is favoured - 4/6 against 11/10 for the England captain.

Looking further ahead, bet365 are also offering long-term odds on next summer's Ashes series. Australia are 2/5 to win the series, with England an outside bet at 7/2. In their series result market, a 2-1 series win for Australia is thought the most likely result - bet365 are offering 5/1 on this outcome.

Click here to bet on the Champions Trophy & 2005 Ashes series at bet365

Please note that odds are correct at time of publication and are subject to change.