McGrath out to torment English batsmen once more

If recent Ashes series are anything to go by, then Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne will be fighting it out to be the top wicket-taker in the five-match series. But the rise to world class of Steve Harmison and the return to form of Brett Lee may have the big two looking over their shoulder just a little bit when the series finally begins at Lord's on July 21.

Only once in the past six Ashes series - in Australia in 2002/3 - has an English bowler even finished as the joint wicket-taker. On that occasion, Andy Caddick took 20 wickets to share top honours with Jason Gillespie, but there were mitigating circumstances. McGrath played just four Tests and took 19 wickets, while Warne took 14 wickets in just three Tests.

McGrath has been the top wicket-taker in each of the past two tours and he seems to love English conditions. He's nabbed 117 wickets in 22 Ashes Tests in all, while in England, his record is an incredible 68 wickets in 11 Tests. In 1997, he took 36 wickets to Warne's 24, while last time round, in 2001, he had 32 to Warne's 31. It's something of a surprise, then, to see Warne installed as favourite with bet365 at 5/2 (3.50) to McGrath's 11/4 (3.75).

Next in the betting is Steve Harmison, who has taken 121 wickets in his 30 Tests, and has already been causing Australia problems this summer. His wickets-per-match ratio, at marginally over four, is more than respectable, but it trails McGrath (4.57 per match) and Warne (4.73). Harmison is 4/1 (5.00) to top the wicket-takers this summer.

Brett Lee, by no means assured of a place in the Test side despite a big improvement of late, is 8/1 (9.00), while Matthew Hoggard is 17/2 (9.50), Andrew Flintoff is 9/1 (10.00) and Jason Gillespie, a fine but injury-prone bowler, is 10/1 (11.00). Stuart MacGill, who boasts the best strike rate of all, at 4.84 wickets per match, is 14/1 (15.00) but he will probably play just a couple of Tests at most.

Cambers' Call: Glenn McGrath to be Ashes top wicket-taker