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Cricket in-play betting tips: England v West Indies third Test latest odds and advice
Richard Mann previews day two of the third Test between England and West Indies at Edgbaston.
Day two betting update
1pt England to score 500+ first innings runs at 4/1 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt England to score 600+ first innings runs at 25/1 (Sky Bet)
Despite the series scoreline, the last few weeks has been packed full of both absorbing and excellent cricket, with day one of the third Test in Birmingham providing more of the same.
Once again, it was a day of fluctuating fortunes, West Indies cruising to 76-0 having won the toss and opted to bat first, only to lose 5-39 before Jason Holder and Joshua De Silva combined to haul the tourists to a final total of 282. Three England wickets before the close meant the day ended with honours just about even.
As ever, the pitch at Edgbaston must come under the microscope. This has been a good ground for batting in recent years, both in the County Championship and international cricket.
Only last summer did England post 393-8 declared on the first day of the Ashes, Australia replying with 386 on a surface that was largely unresponsive and dictated that both teams were forced to use the bouncer tactic an awful lot. Though not quite to that degree on Friday, there appear to be clear similarities with this pitch.
The general consensus is that West Indies are under par with 282 and but for some brief periods where the ball swung, things looked pretty good for batting for the most part. That West Indies batting collapse I referred to earlier was more down to poor game management either side of Lunch, rather than any demons in the surface.
Another thing that most observers seem to agree on is that day two could be even better for batting, and the recent history of this ground suggests that this is a pitch that holds together and plays well throughout the course of a long match.
Another good weather forecast on Saturday means England’s batting line-up should have few excuses, and with Trent Bridge centurions Ollie Pope and Joe Root not out overnight, and Harry Brook, another to make a hundred in Nottingham, due in next, West Indies have plenty of work to do.
In fact, runs for captain Ben Stokes in the last match, following Jamie Smith’s fine debut innings at Lord’s, means that all of England’s batsmen, either not out or still to come, are in good form. And with Chris Woakes due in at number nine, England will expect to post a big first innings score.
As I and my Cricket…Only Bettor colleague Paul Krishnamurty have long argued, there is usually little point in betting around the par runs line with this England team, given the high-risk approach they take with their batting – meaning extremes either way are more likely than landing on any sort of average.
The prices are bigger with this strategy, too, and while England could easily endure the sort of batting collapse that plagued their Test series in India last winter, this group is just as likely to post a huge total in favourable batting conditions.
If Pope and Root can weather the morning storm, I’d like to think there will be big runs in the offing. As such, I’m going to chance my arm on England to score 500+ FIRST INNINGS RUNS at 4/1, and 600+ FIRST INNINGS RUNS at 25/1.
It’s worth remembering that England scored 657 batting first against Pakistan in Rawalpindi not so long ago, so it can be done. There were centuries from Pope and Brook on that occasion, so fingers crossed lightning can strike twice.
Posted at 2145 BST on 26/07/24
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