West Indies v England Test Series

(West Indies 4th Feb - 10th March, 2009)

The first three tests have been personal triumphs, but public disasters for new captain Strauss -if only the rest of the team had performed as well as the skipper then England won be 3-0 ahead.

Preview of Sporting Index Series Markets

The Fourth Test is to be played at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain -which has hosted more test matches than any other ground in the Carribean.

After England's Jekyll and Hyde performance in Barbados -where their batsmen dominated and their bowlers capitulated, the question is 'can England finally take all 20 wickets in a match?'
With this in mind, the selectors may decide to go with five bowlers and hope that they can find something in the pitch -although the West Indies will be instructing the groundsman to prepare yet another flat track.

For the West Indies, we can finally expect a good showing from Chanderpaul, who has failed (by his lofty standards) in the first three tests at -scoring only 146 runs. Elsewhere in the team, fast bowler Fidel Edwards has shown himself to be very competent against the England middle-order and could again cause them problems -even on dead pitches he has found some movement.

UPDATED SPREAD BETTING TIPS FOR THE TEST SERIES

BOWLERS
A) Fidel Edwards -Has shown himself to be a constant threat to England.
GUIDE -Buy series performance @ 112 (Sporting Index)

B) -Jerome Taylor -Produced the spell of his life in the first test but came back down to earth with a bump on the lifeless pitches of Antigua and Barbados. More of the same to follow in Port of Spain.
GUIDE- Sell series performance @ 173 (Sporting Index)

BATSMEN
C) Stuart Broad -He is developing into a competent test match all-rounder and is capable of making a century given the right conditions. Made a swift 44 in Antigua and will make another good score before the end of the series.
GUIDE -Buy series runs @ 100 (Sporting Index)

D) Chandepaul -The outstading West Indian batsman is definitely overdue a big score and it would be no surprise to see him put together a big hundred.
GUIDE -Buy series runs @ 236 (Sporting Index)

SERIES TOTAL MARKETS
E) -Series Total Sixes -On a flat track with plenty of attacking players in both teams (including several who always try to bring up their hundred with a six), there is plenty of scope for twenty sixes in a single game.
GUIDE -Buy series sixes @ 39 (Sporting Index)

F) -Series Total Extras -This market looks over-quoted at 300 -there were 43 in the first test and a massive 111 in the second test. Sixty of those in the second test were byes conceded by the unpredictable bounce. This West Indies pace attack don't appear to have a no-ball or wides problem, so should bring it in under the current quote of 300-308.
GUIDE -Sell series extras @ 300 (Sporting Index)

England Squad:
Andrew Strauss (Midsex, capt), Kevin Pietersen (Hamps), Tim Ambrose (War), James Anderson (Lanc), Ian Bell (War), Stuart Broad (Notts), Paul Collingwood (Dur), Alastair Cook (Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancs), Steve Harmison (Dur), Monty Panesar (N'hants), Matt Prior (Sussex), Adil Rashid (Yorks), Owais Shah (Midsex), Ryan Sidebottom (Notts), Graeme Swann (Notts).

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