Cricket Betting
Improving England Aim to Wrap Up Series
England v New Zealand 3rd Test
Going into the final Test at Trent Bridge needing only a draw for a series win over New Zealand, England have left-arm spinner Monty Panesar to thank for their advantageous position after his second innings exploits at Old Trafford. The Northants man proved a match winner after his figures 6-37 upstaged fellow tweaker Daniel Vettori on a pitch which offered ample assistance.
England are 2/1 to hold the tourists to the draw they need and 8/13 to end the series in style with a win. Meanwhile, the Kiwis are 5/1 to build on some promising passages of play in the first two tests and score a memorable victory to level up the series.
The home side are expected to name an unchanged 11 for the fifth test in a row, with the out-of-nick Paul Collingwood being given another chance to add to his paltry account of 32 over three innings. England's one-day captain is available at 8/1 to end up as the top runscorer of the match for his side.
A member of the England batting line-up to have struck a much-needed vein of form is reinstated opener Andrew Strauss. He is 11/8 to follow on from hard-working knocks of 63, 60 and 106 by reaching the half century mark again in the first innings and 4/1 to amass another three figure score.
Monty is now 9/4 to beat Ryan Sidebottom (11/10) and Jimmy Anderson (2/1) to the title of top wicket-taker over the three Test matches with New Zealand this summer.
While acknowledging the progress seen in the battling win at Old Trafford, selector Geoff Miller is looking for England to improve in several areas.
The former Derbyshire and England batsman commented: "We are aware of the need to post bigger first-innings totals on a more regular basis and that we have to bowl well as a unit in order to counter the strength of the New Zealand middle order."
One key member of that middle order that Miller is eluding to is Ross Taylor, who treated the Manchester crowd to an exhilarating 154 not out - including five sixes - in the first innings at Old Trafford to grab top spot in the New Zealand runs table this series. The number four batsman is now 4/6 favourite to hang on to the distinction, with Jamie How 3/1 and six-foot-six all-rounder Jacob Oram 7/2.
Taylor is 13/8 to follow up those first innings fireworks with a 50 and 5/1 to go all the way to another tonne. He is also 7/2 favourite to end the match as top runscorer once again.
With a tour from South Africa - ranked the third best Test team in the world - on the horizon, England are 1/9 to win the series by grabbing a draw or better in Nottingham, with the Black Caps 5/1 to turn things around and go home all square.
Can England consolidate against the Kiwis?
Odds quoted from
