|
|
. |
 |
 rendspotting |
|
| |
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
| Dan
Roebuck |
| Friday November 30,
2007 |
| |
 |
| |
|
|
|
Nobody fancies tourists but canny
Cook can defy mighty Muralitharan
A year ago Britain's bookmakers
were predicting a £30m industry-wide gamble on England's Ashes series
against Australia. Twelve months on, betting on their three-match series in Sri
Lanka can hardly be described as brisk.
With the first Test in Kandy
starting early tomorrow some layers are forecasting turnover to be down by as
much as half. However, with the action set to take place at a marginally more
congenial time for UK punters, at least the betting-in-play markets should be
strong. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not surprisingly, Sri Lanka are the
short-priced favourites to win the series, with 4-5 (general) the best price
about the hosts. England are 3-1 (Sporting Odds and Totesport) with the drawn
series 13-4 (Bet365).
Most of the ante-post money has come for the home
side, with England relatively friendless. "It is a big ask for England and so
far the vast majority of bets are on a Sri Lankan victory," said William Hill
spokesman Rupert Adams. Hill's were a top-price 10-11 about the hosts until
last week.
England were last successful in Sri Lanka in 2001, when,
coming off the back of a series win in Pakistan, they came from one down to win
2-1. A repeat scoreline is available at 12-1 (general). The last time England
played Tests there, however, the hosts secured a 1-0 series win courtesy of
some sparkling spells from Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando on the
fourth day of the final Test in Colombo. A 1-0 win for Sri Lanka this time
around is priced at 6-1 (Ladbrokes and Totesport).
Patriotic punters
will point to the fact that England won the recent one-day series in Sri Lanka
at similar odds for proof that they can perform there, although it is worth
remembering that Muralitharan did not play in the series. And although Sri
Lanka performed poorly in Australia, England, beaten by India at home in their
last Test series, are just too inconsistent to warrant support. My advice is to
back the hosts. .
Murali's form is once again key to Sri Lanka's
chances with the bookmakers unanimous in believing the spinner is almost
certain to take most England wickets, despite returning poor figures in
Australia (four for 400). He is 4-11 (general) to end the series as Sri Lanka's
top wicket-taker and given that he averages seven per match against England on
home soil it is difficult to back against him. And with the spinner fast
approaching Shane Warne's world record of 708 Test wickets - he needs five more
to overtake the Australian - bookmakers have been quick to price up the player
who will become his 709th victim. Paddy Power makes Monty Panesar and Ryan
Sidebottom 7-1 joint favourites with Kevin Pietersen 10-1 and Michael Vaughan
12-1.
One player who might cope well with Muralitharan is Alastair
Cook and the opener looks a fair bet at 9-2 (Totesport) to be England's leading
runscorer in the series. Pietersen is the 3-1 (Totesport) favourite in this
market but Cook has already impressed in the warm-up games and will be buoyed
by the domination enjoyed by Michael Hussey, a fellow left-hander, for
Australia earlier this month. Cook is certain to play every Test and top-scored
for England in the recent one-day series on the island. The in-form Kumar
Sangakkara is the 9-4 (general) market leader to be Sri Lanka's top runscorer.
Panesar is the 9-4 favourite (Ladbrokes) to take most wickets for
England and it seems likely the pitches will help the Northamptonshire
spinner's cause. A better bet, however, might be to follow Matthew Hoggard on
Sporting Index's Series Bowler Index. Here, 10 points are awarded for every
wicket Hoggard takes with a 25-point bonus for a five-wicket haul in an
innings. The spread is 118-128 and the advice is to buy. Hoggy is one of the
few England players with Test experience in Sri Lanka and has the variation and
nous to cause the home batsmen problems, as his eight-wicket haul in the last
warm-up match earlier this week proved.
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
. |
|
Main Menu
