WHAT started off as a bit of a giggle and a money-making opportunity for the English counties has become the future of international cricket.

Twenty20 cricket has exploded in popularity in recent history and a meeting between the game’s oldest rivals should ensure fireworks.

Two international matches will be contested between Australia and England immediately after the Ashes Test series on January 12 and 14.

For the first time in recent history, England will find themselves favourites in betting markets given their stunning world championship win in the West Indies.

BET on England to retain the Ashes this winter. For the first time in many a year, they head Down Under with a better team than Australia and although the Aussies love nothing better than sticking the boot in, recent history suggests Andrew Strauss’ team can build on the results of successive series wins on home soil and finally win in Australia.

An Ashes tour is one of the highlights of the cricket calendar, with the five Test fixtures drawing vast numbers of supporters from across the UK to Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

England’s cricket counties have re-invented the wheel again and Clydesdale Bank 40 betting offers the opportunity for spectacular entertainment throughout the summer season.

Fifty-over cricket has suddenly become the poor relation of the game with the explosion of Twenty20 cricket. But subtle changes to the reduced-overs format has inspired aggressive batting, and supporters have responded in encouraging numbers.

In next to no time, the IPL has developed into one of the highlights of the cricket calendar, a furious 40-over slog by some of the world’s greatest players.

This year’s IPL winners, the Chennai Super Kings dominated Twenty20 betting. So well fancied were they that online bookmakers made a point of quoting odds which notionally excluded them from the field, a feature only available via the internet.